Nguyen dynasty’s Imperial records are administrative records of the Nguyen dynasty, the last feudal dynasty in Vietnam which existed from 1802 to 1945. The collection was created during the Nguyen dynasty as part of its state management activity. It includes records created by grass-root to central organizations in its administrative system submitted to the Emperors for approval, records created by the Emperors, diplomatic notes and literature works composed by the royal family.
Stone Stele Records of Royal Examinations of the Le and Mac Dynasties 1442-1779 (2010)
Records the names and related information of doctoral laureates who passed the 82 royal examinations over this period and formed the core of Vietnam’s civil service.
The 82 stone steles which are preserved at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam historical site record names of the laureates of Royal Examinations of Le and Mac Dynasties were erected between 1484 and 1780 to commemorate the Royal examinations held between 1442 and 1779. Each inscription contains details such as the date, the names and official posts of the inscription compilers, revisers, calligraphers, and engravers. Steles of each historic period are distinct from the others through features such as designs, decorative patterns, tortoise-shaped bases, and the type of Chinese characters used for their inscriptions preserve the stele’s originality and prevent attempts to produce replicas. The steles vividly document the 300 years’ history of training and recruiting talented individuals in Viet Nam under the Le and Mac dynasties, as well as similar practices outside of Viet Nam
Woodblocks at Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, Bac Giang Province (2012)
Over 3,000 woodblocks, engraved from 1871 to 1932, containing Buddhist sutras and other documents of the Truc Lam Zen sect in the Nôm script. This distinctly Vietnamese Buddhist tradition has spread to many countries.
The Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho (2008)
The Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho in Bangkok is a unique collection of 1,360 Thai language inscriptions on marble plates made in the 1830’s on both religious and secular subjects, representing a wide range of Thai knowledge of Asian and local roots of the time. It was a conscious effort by King Rama III and Thai scholars to preserve them in and made them visible to the public with the ultimate aim in general education on cultural heritage, diversity and civilizations. The knowledge related to Thai yoga has recently become widespread through devoted practitioners, schools, spas and wellness centres worldwide.
Asian Film Archive Collection Cathay-Keris Malay Classics (2014)
The 91 surviving titles represent a portion of Singapore’s golden age of filmmaking (1950s and 1960s). The titles depict stories indigenous to the Malay peoples of Singapore and Malaysia, display disappearing traditions and music, and reflect social attitudes of the time. The collection is historically, culturally and artistically important to the region’s Malay communities, but also embodies the heritage of Singapore.
Archives of German-Samoa Colonial Administration (2014)
The German Colonization period in Samoa from 1900 – 1914 is one of the most significant eras in the history of Samoa. During this period the people of Samoa experienced a great number of political and cultural changes; both historically important in their own right, as well as serving as context for significant future developments in the nation’s history. The documents provide a record of a unique example of Germany’s colonial expansion in the Pacific, while also assuming a wider international significance. The administration arose as a direct result of colonial rivalries and international relations in the preceding period.
The Presidential papers of Manuel Luis Quezon (2010)
Principal documentary source of Philippine history for the American colonial period 1898-1946.
Western Pacific Archives (2014)
The Western Pacific Archives comprises the records of the Western Pacific High Commission, from 1875 until 1978, and the territorial records of the British Agent and Consul, Tonga, and the New Hebrides British Service. The Commission’s jurisdiction covered the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), the Gilbert and Ellis Islands Colony (now Kiribati and Tuvalu), Pitcairn, and Tonga.
The Tokyo War Crimes Trials 1946-1948 (2010)
The collection is one of the most complete and unique sets of original documents of the International Military Tribunal Far East (IMTFE) 1946-1948. It has enormous significance for the Asia Pacific region as it documents the history of Japanese ambitions in the Pacific prior to World War II. It rivals in significance the Nuremburg collection held by Harvard Law School. It was presented to the University of Canterbury in 1949 by Justice Erima Harvey Northcroft, the New Zealand Member of the IMTFE.
Sutra of Great Diety Tara (2014)
This work is a unique piece of art where texts of Green and White Tara were written in 79 lines in less than 5 cm of space using very thin pen point.