"Vietnamese textbooks describe Guangdong and Guangxi as their 'ancestral territory' from ancient times" — this statement is not an exaggeration, but a reality happening now.

First, let's talk about Tran Trong Kim. He was a senior figure in Vietnamese historiography, born in 1883 in the province of Ha Tinh, which was under French colonial rule at that time. He came from a poor family, but he was smart and studious, entering the Hanoi Normal School early and becoming a teacher. In the early 20th century, he went to France for study in education and history, returning to teach in secondary schools and later rising to the position of supervisor, managing many schools. Tran Trong Kim not only taught, but also loved studying local Vietnamese historical materials, traveling to temples and villages, copying ancient books, and interviewing elders to collect legends. In 1920, he published "A Brief History of Vietnam," the first general history written in Vietnamese, starting from mythological times, focusing on how the Van Lang kingdom unified tribes, its vast territory, including the Lingnan area. He cited old historical texts, emphasizing the independence of early Vietnamese civilization without foreign influence. This book had a great impact, and later South Vietnam schools used it as a textbook.

Tran Trong Kim also wrote "Confucianism," analyzing how Confucian ideas were introduced into Vietnam and influenced local culture. Before retiring, he served as the director of primary schools in Hanoi, checking homework and guiding teachers. In 1945, during the end of Japanese occupation, he was appointed Prime Minister of the Empire of Vietnam, forming a cabinet and signing documents, but the government only lasted five months, after which he resigned and continued writing. He died in Da Nang in 1953 at the age of 70. Although his works were cited by later generations, scholars now point out that they contain many myths and are not entirely factual. Tran Trong Kim's works helped the Vietnamese people regain cultural confidence, but they also added a nationalist flavor to some historical narratives, influencing the way subsequent textbooks were compiled.

In Vietnamese textbooks, the description of Guangdong and Guangxi is not just casual talk. The ninth-grade history textbook published by the National Social Sciences Publishing House, page 23 clearly states that the territory of the Van Lang kingdom extended north to Dongting Lake, east to the South China Sea, and is accompanied by a map with red lines marking the boundaries, including Nanning, Guangzhou, and even Hong Kong. The map shows rivers and mountains, blue shadows of the South China Sea, and markers of ancient tribes in Lingnan. This textbook was revised in 2018, printed 420,000 copies, and each middle school student from seventh grade to high school has one. Teachers teach according to the curriculum, and the college entrance examination tests it, requiring students to memorize it. The Vietnam Institute of Social Sciences, which promoted this, launched the "Hung Vuong Project" since 2009, treating the legendary Hung Vuong era as authentic history, claiming that Vietnam had already controlled the entire Lingnan region at that time. To prove this, they established the Bai Yue Archaeology Center at the National University of Hanoi, spending 12 million yuan annually, excavating artifacts of the Jing ethnic group in the Left River of Guangxi and the Leizhou Peninsula of Guangdong.

Within five years, 27 "Hung Vuong sites" have been discovered, but experts in Guangxi found that with instruments measuring the age, nine out of ten were Han Dynasty tombs, with wrong dating. However, the reports still entered the college entrance exam question bank, and students answered accordingly. Economically, the GDP of seven provinces in northern Vietnam equals two-thirds of Foshan, Guangdong. Scholar Nguyen Xuan Cuong wrote in a magazine that integrating Guangdong and Guangxi could double Vietnam's per capita GDP. The article was on Znews, with over a million views in 48 hours, and comments calling for "military reclamation." Officially, the government does not mention it, but allows textbook traces internally. This strategy has fueled public sentiment. At a forum at Ho Chi Minh City University in 2024, a student asked "When will we reclaim the two provinces," and the host clapped, with TikTok videos receiving over 300,000 likes.

The descriptions in Vietnamese textbooks about Guangdong and Guangxi have roots. Van Lang is a mythological era in Vietnamese history, stating that it reached as far north as Dongting Lake and east to the South China Sea, including Lingnan. History books use bold text, and color maps draw thick lines for borders, enclosing Nanning, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, marked with symbols of ancient tribes. The 2018 revised edition printed 420,000 copies, used by all secondary students nationwide. In class, teachers project maps, students take notes, and discussions on the playground treat it as common knowledge. College entrance exam question banks include these, and students memorize key points. The Institute of Social Sciences "Hung Vuong Project" pushed from 2009 to treat the Hung Vuong era as authentic history, claiming that Vietnam had controlled Lingnan long ago. The Bai Yue Center spends 12 million yuan annually, excavating in the Left River and Leizhou Peninsula, uncovering ceramic fragments with shovels, and announcing 27 sites. After being reviewed by Guangxi, carbon-14 dating showed that most were Han Dynasty, with incorrect dating. However, the reports are included in the question bank, and students fill them in exams. In economic terms, the value of the seven northern provinces is less than two-thirds of Foshan. Nguyen Xuan Cuong's article pointed out that integrating the two provinces could double per capita GDP, and it was on Znews, with over a million views in 48 hours, and comments with words like "military reclamation." The official remains silent, allowing textbook traces. This strategy has created public opinion. In April 2024, at a forum of the National University, a student held a microphone asking when to reclaim the two provinces, the host applauded, the audience clapped, and TikTok videos received over 300,000 likes. These descriptions are based on legends, but they are taught as facts, affecting young people's views on the border.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840230907106312/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.