Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific

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Merged Garahiin Oron: Tibetan – Mongolian Dictionary of Terms and Definitions (2016)

Woodblocks for the Tibetan-Mongolian Dictionary of Terms and Definitions, were first created in 1742 by Mongolian Buddhist scholars and translators, but these were lost. A complete set of the woodblocks was recreated in 1924 and were some of the last woodblocks to be created in Mongolia using traditional methods. It is these woodblocks that have been inscribed on the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register in 2016.

Woodblocks have been produced in Mongolia since the 10th century. The inscribed woodblocks demonstrate the continuation of this printing practice until the early 20th century. They also illustrate the culture, traditions and technology of printing at a time when European printing methods were starting to be used.

The dictionary has been a source of reference for Mongolian scholars, intellectuals and the general population over many generations. It is recognised for its practical translations and in-depth guidelines. The dictionary contributed to the development of the translation of the Tibetan Buddhist Canons Kanjur and Tanjur into Mongolian. These translations were completed in 1749. The dictionary also includes the theory of translation from Tibetan into Mongolian, and this theory is still useful today. It continues to be an invaluable source for the in-depth study of the Mongolian language and its evolutionary changes over time.

There are 385 woodblocks with dimensions of 54.7х7.4cm. The woodblocks were commissioned by the Institute of Sutra and Script and carved in 1924 at the Agiin Datsan, the Buddhist Monastery of Aga, in Buryatia. The government of Mongolia has given the woodblocks the status of the “Most Valuable Documentary Heritage of Mongolia.

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King Bayinnaung Bell Inscription (2016)

King Bayinnaung was the king of the Taungoo Dynasty (modern day Myanmar) from 1551-1581 and donated the bronze bell to the Shwezigon Pagoda in Bagan in 1557. The inscriptions on the bell are in three languages, Myanmar Mon and Pali and record the king’s military, political, cultural and social achievements.

King Bayinnaung significantly extended the borders of his empire and the bell lists the achievements of the first 6 years of his reign. The bell inscription provides information on the king’s conquests and campaigns, on his power and authority and on his good deeds. It also includes information about the weight of the bell, also evidence of the external relationships between Myanmar and other countries such as India, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

The bell still stands on the site where it was placed by King Bayinnaung. It is 165 cm high, 14cm thick and its base is 109 cm in diameter. The top part of the bell is inscribed in Pali and in Myanmar and Mon on each half of the bottom parts. There are 35 lines in Mon, 43 lines in Myanmar and 5 lines in Pali. It is rare for there to be inscriptions on bells in three languages.

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Kitab Ilmu Bedil – Book of Malay Traditional Weaponry (2016)

Kitab Ilmu Bedil is an early manuscript on Malay traditional weaponry. It documents how Malay society adapted the use of weaponry technology and knowledge from other civilisations, particularly Europe and Islam. Such manuscripts on firearms and ammunitions are part of Malay traditional literature and provide an understanding of the merging of Malay traditional systems and beliefs with new knowledge.

The manuscript was written in 1863 and presented by Ismail to “AlMarhum Mangkat di Pahang” who, later owned the original manuscript. The manuscript shows that the earliest weaponry technology came from the Portuguese in the early 16th century. The Portuguese introduced the technology for the production and manufacture of ‘matchlock’, an early type of firearm, which resulted in its wide use in the Malay
Peninsula. It also provides evidence of how the Islamic world contributed to the development of science and technology in the Malay world.

The ways that Malays used firearms are documented and include the application of both technical and mystical elements such as Sufism. For example, the basics of shooting and aiming. They also include mathematical elements such as for the measurement of ammunition and the use of rituals and mantras.

The manuscript consists of eight pages folded in the form of an accordion and is written on cream European laid paper in Jawi script. Such folds are rare in Malay manuscripts. The cover is made of leather and illustrated in gold ink in the arabesque Malay style. It also has a watermark of a man’s face on a crescent moon.

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Suiheisha and Hyeongpyengsa (The Records of Cross-Border Solidarity Between Minorities) (2016)

The inscribed documentary heritage from the 1920’s and 1930’s, consists of five records that demonstrate the solidarity between two organisations that collaborated in their efforts to advocate against discrimination in their respective countries, Japan and Korea. The Suiheisha was established in Japan in 1922 and the Hyeongpyengsa was established in Korea in 1923. The two organisations started to collaborate in 1924. At the time discrimination had been officially abolished in both countries but still persisted.

The inscribed documents include an agenda item from the Third National Congress of the Zenkoku Suiheisha recommending exchanges between the two organisations and support for the abolition of discrimination against Koreans living in Japan, and a pocket book from 1924 belonging to Tomi Yoneda, which includes records of exchanges and a Hyeongpyengsa prospectus from 1929 which provides further evidence of the exchanges. The items that demonstrate the collaboration between the two organisations were found when documents that had belonged to two of the founders
(Seiichiro Sakamoto and Tomi Yoneda) of the Zenkoku Suiheisha were being reviewed during the establishment of the Suiheisha Museum in Nara in 1993.

The records are evidence of a collaboration that took place at a time of national, regional and global change, including the period of Japanese colonial rule in Korea (1910-1945). They demonstrate the ability of people to collaborate across borders under difficult circumstances for common human rights objectives and to use peaceful methods to advocate for change.

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Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple (1645 – 1980) (2016)

The collection consists of documentary heritage from the late Ming Dynasty to the mid-20th century and was started in 1925 when Zhang Shou Bo (18681946), also known as Kung Bun Master, returned to Macau, built the Temple Kong Tac Lam, supported by community leaders and charitable donations. They organised the Macau Buddhist College and started collecting Buddhist documents. There are now over 6,000 items in the collection they started, including rare books, old photos, celebrity letters, manuscripts, painting and calligraphy, and Buddhist texts in different types of formats. The collection also includes documentation of the activities of the Buddhist Masters and intellectuals associated with the Temple after its establishment.

Prior to establishing the Temple, Zhang Shou Bo had established schools, advocated for the abolition of opium and for improving the status of women. The archives and manuscripts are evidence of the continuation of this work by the Masters and intellectuals and the role they played in spreading Buddhist teaching and ideology in Macau, China and neighbouring regions. Those associated with the Temple provided education for women and promoted the link between education and social status for women. Their activities also influenced similar activities in Hong Kong and China. During the Second World War Macau was a neutral city and the documentation is evidence that during this time it became a haven for intellectuals who continued to progress and advocate for their social causes.

The collection includes documentary heritage on palm leaves, manuscripts, fine silk, wood engraving and photographs. Most of the items are unique, although other copies of the rare books may exist in other repositories. A comprehensive catalogue which uses the ‘Professional Classification Scheme on Buddhist Literature’ is available for public use at the Temple.

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Arafāt al-Āshiqīn va Arasāt al-Arifīn (2016)

Arafat al-Ashiqin va Arasat al-Arifin is written in Farsi and contains the biographies of about 3,500 poets from Afghanistan, Iran and the Indian subcontinent. There are a number of manuscripts of the same work. The manuscript that is inscribed on the AsiaPacific Memory of the World Register is the earliest known and was written during the lifetime of the author, Taqi alDin Muhammad Owḥadī Husseini Daqāqī Balīyānī who lived from 1565-1630 AD. It is this manuscript that is used as the source for further reproductions. A reproduction with an extensive introduction by Dr. Katayoon Mazdapour is currently in print.

The author travelled to many different regions to collect information on the poets and the manuscript documents the famous poets of each period. It is an important source for understanding the evolution of Persian poetry in Iran, the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan especially at the time of the Safavids in Iran and the Gurkani kings of India. It also demonstrates the wide spread use and influence of Farsi in the Middle East. The manuscript is written in Nasta’ligh style with four straight columns and one column at 45 degrees (chalipa). It consists of 608 folios with 23 lines on each page. The paper is made of termeh and the manuscript cover is tanned ewe skin engraved by burning. The titles and marks are red.

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Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji, Comprehensive Illustrated Manual of Martial Arts (2016)

One of the reasons for the book’s significance is that it covers traditional Korean martial art forms from which the modern, popular martial art of Taekwondo evolved. The book also includes martial arts which entered Korea from neighbouring countries such as China and Japan. The illustrations in the book provide a detailed explanation of martial art movements including using swords and spears. The illustrations by famous Korean artist Kim Hong Do demonstrate the quality of Korean printing techniques at the time and are detailed enough to allow anyone to reproduce the illustrated movement.

The name “Mu Ye Do Bo Tong Ji’’ means a manual of martial arts with illustrations. The book was donated to the Grand People’s Study House (State library at that time) in 1952 and there are no missing pages. Other copies of the book are thought to have been lost during the Japanese rule of Korea (1910-1945).

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Archives of Confucius Family of the Ming and Qing Dynasties (2016)

The archives provide a record of the life and activities of the Confucius family descendants over the 400 years from 1534 – 1948. They consist of 9,021 volumes and are held in the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, Shandong Province, China, which was the residence of the direct descendants of Confucius. Few documents prior to 1534, the middle of the Ming dynasty, have survived. Most of the documents are from the Qing dynasty (6,256 volumes) and the Republic of China (2,433 volumes). Only four volumes from the period are known to be missing.

A family tree of direct descendants from Confucius has been maintained and covers the most generations of any family tree in China and possibly the world. The Archives also include records of how the family kept the ideology of Confucius alive. The temple and cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion were inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1994.

The Archives of the Confucius Family are significant because of their quantity, long time span and coverage of both domestic and official activities. They complement the official files of the time and offer insights into many aspects of the life of the family. They include documents on the visits of emperors, Chinese feudal society, religious practices, domestic life, social affairs and many other activities. They also include correspondence with the royal court and officials and are an important contributor to the study of the Ming and Qing Dynasties and the Republic of China during the period.

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Archives of Suzhou Silk Samples (2016)

The Archives of Suzhou Silk Samples of Modern and Contemporary Times span a period of one hundred years in the 19th and 20th centuries and consist of 302,841 silk samples in 28,650 volumes from 41 silk enterprises. Eighty two percent of the samples were produced by weaving and eighteen percent were produced by printing and dyeing. The samples were collected in a two-year period starting in 2003 and are mainly from Suzhou, although the collection also includes samples from other silk producing provinces. Many of the samples also have technical information attached.

The archives contain the fourteen main categories of silk fabrics: habotai, crepe, satin, twill, chiffon, faille, velvet, gauze, tapestry satin, brocade, silk poplin, spun silk, taffeta.

They also include examples of Song brocade which has been listed as one of China’s intangible cultural heritages and is on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The Archives can be used to study the exchange of technologies and industrial techniques between the West and China and also to research the beginning of Chinese industrial development. Silk was also sold to other countries. These silk patterns were specially designed for the specific country and mirror the changes over the period in the social culture of these countries. The Archives of Suzhou Silk Samples of Modern and Contemporary Times are also inscribed on the China national register for Memory of the World.

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Imperial Records of Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945) (2014)

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.

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