The maritime defense activities under the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1884)

Abstract

The Emperor Minh Mang once affirmed: “The governance of nation should focus on ethical practice and danger-matter consideration. These two things are indispensable. Now I conduct copper-shipbuilding, take advantage of the important coastal areas to build plants, preserve those ships when needed”. Not only Emperor Minh Mang but the Nguyen Emperors from Gia Long to Thieu Tri and Tu Duc were highly aware of the country’s territorial waters defense. The Nguyen Dynasty’s marine considerations including the monitoring and defending were expressed through practical activities: building a strong navy, developing maritime defense systems; promulgate regulations like “tuan duyen chuong trinh”, “tuan thuyen quy thuc” and “tuan duong xu phan le”… The maritime defense activities under Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1884) and the lessons learned from these activities will help us “know the past, find the future” and acquire insightful practical values also.