Kings county supreme court

The Hanoitimes – The Government Office and the People’s Supreme Court signed the Coordination Regulation on building e-government and e-court for enhancing administrative reform and improving management.

The Vietnamese Government Office and the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam signed on January 12 in Hanoi the Coordination Regulation on building e-government and e-court for improving management and enhancing administrative reform.

An overview of the signing of the Coordination Regulation on January 12 in Hanoi. Photo: tapchitoaan.vn

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung emphasized that the signing marked a milestone in linking the building of e-government with the building e-court of the judicial branch.

“The cooperation will create a basis for more in-depth, substantive and effective coordination between the Government Office and the judicial organs,” said Minister-Chairman Dung.

This regulation is the basis for the Government Office to improve the quality of advising and assisting the government and the Prime Minister in administrative reform as well as building e-government towards a digital government, digital economy, and digital society.

In order to effectively implement the regulation, Minister-Chairman Dung suggested the two sides continue the cooperation in electronic documents exchange on the National Document Axis between agencies of People’s Courts and government bodies at all levels.

The Hanoitimes – The archival document exhibition entitled “The Palace welcomes Tet”, which lasts until the end of February 23, will help the public understand more about the old customs of Tet in the royal court.

For the first time, 80 Chau ban documents (the king’s autographed documents in red ink) of Nguyen Dynasty and archived photos are introduced to the public at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.

A King of Nguyen dynasty at work. Photos the courtesy of the exhibition’s organising board

Through the exhibition, the New Year of the royal court with its majestic ceremonies are vividly reproduced. In the past, life in the court of Nguyen dynasty in particular and other dynasties of Vietnam in general was always considered ‘secret’ and was rarely made public.

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the Lunar New Year is considered one of the biggest ceremonies of the year and the court welcomes Tet with many solemn rituals.

The exhibition features three main themes. The first theme – “Tet Preparations” includes pictures and documents about preparing works for Tet in the palace. The Lunar New Year’s Eve preparation started very early, right from the first day of the 12th month in the lunar calendar. This ritual is called “Le Ban soc” or “Calendar distribution ceremony”.

The following ceremony was held to invite the proceeding emperors from heaven to turn back ‘home’ for having a Tet celebration with the whole court, also known as “Le Hop huong”.

The next ritual that is the indication of the suspension of court affairs, called “ Le phong an ”; and finally, the “ Tien Xuan ” ritual or “Welcome Spring” ceremony took place.

A Chau ban documents, the king’s autographed documents in red ink, of Nguyen Dynasty.

The second theme of the exhibition is called “New Year’s Eve- farewell to the old year and welcome the new year”. There were several rituals held at the court on the last day of the 12th month in the Lunar calendar, such as “Disinfection ceremony”, “Ghost chasing ceremony” and “ Neu tree erection ceremony”.

The third theme of the exhibition is named- “Welcome New Year- Tet Gift delivery & Praising filial piety”. On the first day of the New Year, the King paid visit to  Queen mother for the New Year blessing. After that, he turned back to his Palace, waiting   the court dignitaries to come and offer new year best wishes.

Then, the New Year’s  banquet  began with abundance of delicacies and royal specialties. The courtiers were also bestowed with gold and jewelries, meanwhile, people were also given gifts by the King for the occasion of the New Year.

At the workshop

Speaking at the event, Bach Quoc An, head of the ministry’s International Law Department, said that the search for data on the recognition and enforcement in Vietnam of foreign courts’ judgments and foreign arbitral awards is not easy, as to date, neither the Supreme People’s Court nor his ministry conduct and announce annual statistics.

Therefore, the Ministry of Justice hopes the database not only provides information but also serves as a premise for related agencies to gain an insight into this work and contribute to increasing the safety and attractiveness of Vietnam’s business environment.

Nils Christensen, Acting Assistant to Chief Representative of UNDP Vietnam, stated that increasing the recognition and enforcement of foreign courts’ judgments and foreign arbitral awards in Vietnam is important to ensure a fair business environment and attract more foreign investments, which is also essential to make Vietnam gain better international economic integration.

The database is posted on the Justice Ministry’s e-portal.

Source: VNA

Shrine dedicated to King An Duong Vuong, built in 1687 under King Le Hy Tong’s reign and renovated in 1689, often referred to as Thuong (Upper) Shrine

Trong Thuy – My Chau well at entrance of An Duong Vuong Shrine.

Main entrance of An Duong Vuong Shrine with its almost all ancient architectural sketches.

Ancient architectural sketches in Co Loa relic.

Statue of Cao Lo, a talented warrior under King An Duong Vuong who created a multiple-shot crossbow.

Two small wells, called dragon’s eyes, on two sides of main entrance to King An Duong Vuong Shrine.

Visitors to Co Loa Ancient Citadel.

An excavation hole on outer wall in 2012

Co Loa bronze drum unearthed in 1982 in Ma Tre area, Cho hamlet, southwest of the southern gate of Co Loa Ancient Citadel, dated back more than 2,000 years ago.

Stone axes unearthed in Bai Men, Co Loa, dated back from 3,000 to 3,500 years ago.

A replica of multiple-shot crossbow, created by Cao Lo.

VNA

The Hanoitimes – King Le Thanh Tong (1442 –1497) was the most comprehensive, profound and successful, creating a turning point to bring Dai Viet nation into the most flourishing period in its history.

History of medieval Vietnam has witnessed many state reforms, of which the one of King Le Thanh Tong (1442 –1497) was the most comprehensive, profound and successful, creating a turning point to bring Dai Viet country or Great Viet (the former name of Viet Nam) into the most flourishing period in its history.

The historic missioner

An illustration of King Le Thanh Tong in a schoolbook

His mother as well as many others probably did not think that Le Thanh Tong would ever become a king one day. But it seems that the country entrusted him with the uneasy mission of consolidating and building a strong nation.

When King Le Thanh Tong ascended to the throne, he began an efficient reform, starting with administration reshuffling aimed at building a strong state apparatus. “Legal rule going hand in hand with the ‘people rule'” was his ideology throughout the reform process.

Le Thanh Tong’s first reform was to decentralize the management of land and territory. Until 1489, the country’s geographical administrative map comprised 13 regions, 52 towns, and 178 districts. In each place, it also was subdivided into even smaller administrative units. Public and private farming land ownership was also defined clearly.

A bronze statue of King Le Thanh Tong is on display at the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.

The key of Le Thanh Tong’s reform was to build a state with an organizational structure capable of national protection and development. Still based on Confucianism as the foundation, it shared similarities to the Chinese feudal state model, but there were differences in Le Thanh Tong’s regime. He reinforced the king’s power and minimized the decentralization and the indulgence of his officials.

This reform took many years and by 1471, a state apparatus was perfected with the basic ideology of “high quality” of mandarins. Accordingly, positions and organizations at all levels were interconnected and supported each other as well as counseled the king but the the king was the decision maker. In this way, dignitaries could not abuse their power. This was the most complete and progressive rule of Vietnam under feudalism.

Le Thanh Tong paid a lot of attention to build competent and qualified mandarins. His view of selecting talents is to combine exams and recommendations. During the Le Thanh Tong period, there were 12 exams which 501 doctors and 10 first doctoral candidates were selected. Those who passed would be appointed to a court position. Every three year, the mandarins had to undergo other exams to test their capability and efficiency in their work. The retired age was 65.

In addition, Le Thanh Tong also launched many ways to control the bureaucracy. Those who had merits would be promoted, those who made mistakes would be punished and those who showed inefficiency in work, would be dismissed and replaced.

In terms of education and culture, Le Thanh Tong also made many important reforms such as paying attention to write books of national history as he considered history as a mirror to see the right and the wrong. The proceedings of ceremonies, music, exam regulations and family education, marriage, among others were also institutionalized.

The reform of King Le Thanh Tong not only revamped the whole royal system, but also transformed all activities of the country, strengthening the country, and the dynasty, making it the most prosperous period in Middle Age history of Vietnam. In fact, it still has left many practical lessons for today.

The Hanoitimes – With an important role in the national revolutionary movements in the wartime, Hanoi has many historical relics, including many houses attached with the glorious historical events of the country.

House No. 5D Ham Long Street – Where the first Communist Party Office was established

The simple house in Hanoi’s centre turns to be a historial site today. Photo: Vietnam National Museum of History

In 1929, the worker movement was developing strongly so the Vietnam Association of Youth Revolution needed the leadership of the proletariat. In the end of March 1929, the soldiers in Hanoi including Ngo Gia Tu, Nguyen Duc Canh, Nguyen Phong Sac, Tran Van Cung, among others met at the house No. 5D, Ham Long Street to establish the first Communist Party Office.

In 1964, the house was recognized as a historical and cultural relic.

The house is now kept as a souvenir house, remaining almost the same structure and furniture of the time. Together with other revolutionary historic houses in Hanoi, it contributes to the proud history of the Vietnamese revolution.

House No. 90 Tho Nhuom Street – Where the first General Secretary of the Party wrote the Draft of Political Thesis

The tiny room inside a French-style villa in Hanoi’s downtown. Photo: Pham Hung

The street of Hang Bong Nhuom (Tho Nhuom) was known as a “Western” street at that time. The house No. 90 has four floors with the villa style. There was a family living there with their employees.

In early May 1930, comrade Tran Phu, a Vietnamese revolutionary and the first general secretary of the Communist Party moved to live in this house. His room in the basement was six square meter room, enough for a bed with a window overlooking the street where he was able to see the main gate, notice everything outside and escape to the backyard when necessary.

Many meetings took place here until midnight and the comrades in the Standing Committee often slept right on chairs in the hallway. During the time of writing the draft of Party Political Thesis, comrade Tran Phu often sat on the floor and used his bed as a desk.

In 1960, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Communist Party, the house was recognized as the birthplace of the Party’ Politial Thesis and became an important relic. On the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi capital establishment in 2010, the house was restored to become a historic spot attracting a lot of visitors.

Historical house No. 48 Hang Ngang – Where Uncle Ho wrote the Declaration of Independence

The house was where President Ho Chi Minh wrote the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Vietnam Democratic Republic. Photo: Ho Chi Minh Museum

Located in the Old Quarter, this house has a long and deep style of traditional “tube house” of the area. The house was owned by a wealthy couple Mr. Trinh Van Bo and Mrs. Hoang Thi Minh Ho, whose bourgeois family had sucessfully run a silk shop for many generations. Like many other Vietnamese, they were very patriotic. Before the revolution, this couple supported communist soldiers a lot, including financial sponsorship.

With the location in the center of the busy business district with many customers and passers-by, the house was soon chosen to welcome President Ho Chi Minh on August 25, 1945, he came from Tan Trao Town (Tuyen Quang Northern Province). The room on the second floor was used as his meeting room with the comrades in the Standing Committee.

Here President Ho Chi Minh hosted a meeting with members of the Party’s Standing Committee to prepare for the launch of the Provisional Revolutionary Government on September 2, 1945. On the table there was the typewriter that Uncle Ho used to draft the Declaration of Independence.

The four-storey building in No. 48 Hang Ngang Street has been preserved and ranked as the historical revolutionary relic.

House No. 8 Le Thai To Street – where President Ho Chi Minh lived the first days in the French war

This modern-looking building is used to be place where President Ho Chi Minh stayed and worked during 1945 -1946.

The relic of the house is now no longer available so that it is not clear about its date. But as the house belonged to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Moocse (the Supreme Court of France in Hanoi) so it is regarded to be built in the 1920s.

Not long after the successful Revolution, Chiang Kai-shek led his army to the North of Vietnam to disarm the Japanese army. Hanoi was in a complicated situation and the house No. 48 Hang Ngang was no longer safe so that the house No. 8 Le Thai To Street was chosen for President Ho Chi Minh to reside in the early days of the war.

The house was where Uncle Ho and the Standing Party Committee worked from August 1945 to the end of 1946. There were many important decision and policies made at this house such as the first general election of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on January 6, 1946; production increase to save hunger; nationwide education; activities against reactionary Vietnamese and French colonial return; preparation for the Fontainebleau conference in France.

In front of the house, there is a stele writing “The relic site of the House No. 8 Le Thai To Street Hanoi where was the secret residence and working place of President Ho Chi Minh from September 1945 to December 1946. Also here, many soldiers of the National Guard bravely defended the place, contributing to the victory of the army and people in the 60 day and night fight for defending Hanoi in winter 1946.”