Editing Paracel Islands (section)

===== 1800–1899 =====
* 1802–1820, under the reign of Emperor [[Gia Long]], the territory of his kingdom included [[Tonkin]], [[Cochin China]], part of [[Cambodia]], and "certain islands off the coast including the well known Paracels which bear such an evil reputation as a source of danger to navigation in the China Seas."<ref>Richard Simpson Gundry, [https://archive.org/details/chinaandherneig00gundgoog/page/n31 <!-- pg=3 quote=Paracels and coast of Cochin China. --> China and Her Neighbours], p.3, Chapman and Hall Ltd., 1893, London. Retrieved July 4, 2009</ref> In 1802, Emperor Gia Long created the "Hoàng Sa Đội" (Company of the Paracels) to supervise the island exploitation.<ref name=Chang1991416>{{Cite journal|last=Chang|first=Teh-Kuang|date=1991|title=China's Claim of Sovereignty over Spratly and Paracel Islands: A Historical and Legal Perspective|url=https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1644&context=jil|journal=Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law|volume=23|pages=416|access-date=27 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180729141443/https://scholarlycommons.law.case.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1644&context=jil|archive-date=July 29, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
* In 1807, the [[East India Company]] sent Captain [[Daniel Ross (marine surveyor)|Daniel Ross]] to [[Cochinchina]] to survey the Paracel Islands. Upon arriving to the kingdom, he presented a letter of introduction entrusted by the English company to the reigning king, who was believed to be Emperor Gia Long at that time.<ref>J. J. Higginbotham, [https://books.google.com/books?id=HkgOAAAAQAAJ&dq=Paracels+and+coast+of+Cochin+China&pg=PA447 Selections from the Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and its Dependencies: "A Cuccinct Historical Narrative of the East India Company's Endeavours"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102529/https://books.google.com/books?id=HkgOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA447&dq=Paracels+and+coast+of+Cochin+China&lr=#PPA447,M1 |date=January 1, 2016 }}, Vol. 13, p.447, 1822, Higginbotham & Co. Retrieved August 4, 2009</ref> Subsequently, Captain Ross completed chartering the south coast of China in 1807, the Paracel Islands in 1808, part of the coast of Cochin China in 1809, and the coast of [[Palawan]] in 1810. Most notably, in his surveys published in 1821 under the title "(South) China Sea, Sheet I & II", the [[Spratly Islands]] was referred to as The Dangerous Ground and was later renamed as Storm Island on the 1859 edition of the chart.<ref name="DH">David Hancox et al., [https://books.google.com/books?id=7Qu9fi-luTYC&dq=the+dangerous+ground+%2B+spratly&pg=PA38 A Geographical Description of the Spratly Islands and an Account of Hydrographic Surveys Amongst Those Islands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102529/https://books.google.com/books?id=7Qu9fi-luTYC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=the+dangerous+ground+%2B+spratly&source=bl&ots=yip5oaohQA&sig=o2QkvBrC7rEVv2nTymDNOsOumHo&hl=en&ei=8kTgSbXzIYj4tAP5yNysCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3#PPA32,M1 |date=January 1, 2016 }}, Marine Time Briefing, Vol. 1–6, pp. 31–32, International Research Unit. Retrieved November 4, 2009.</ref> Separately, in another document, the "Correct Chart of the China Sea", published by Herbert in 1758, the Paracel archipelago was described as a long group of islands and reefs extending from 13 to 17 degrees North, which approximately correspond to the geographic latitudes of the present-day Spratly and Paracel Islands, respectively.<ref name="DH"/> It is quite clearly that the captain himself, and probably most navigators of his time, did not differentiate the two archipelagos, but instead had delineated the present-day Spratly Islands as part of the Paracels. Captain Daniel Ross was a well known hydrographer of the Navy of [[Government of English Bengal]] and founder of the [[Bombay Geographical Society]].<ref>L. S. Dawson, [https://books.google.com/books?id=kp4DAAAAYAAJ&dq=Paracels+and+coast+of+Cochin+China&pg=PA43 Memoirs of Hydrography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101102529/https://books.google.com/books?id=kp4DAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA43&dq=Paracels+and+coast+of+Cochin+China&lr |date=January 1, 2016 }}, Part I, p.43, 1750–1850, The Imperial Library, Eastbourne. Retrieved August 4, 2009</ref>
* In 1815, Emperor Gia Long ordered Phạm Quang Anh's Hoàng Sa naval task unit to sail to the islands to make surveys and report on maritime routes and draw up maps.<ref name="MCG"/><ref name="DNTLCB">''The Encyclopedia of Nguyễn Dynasty History'' "Đại Nam Thực Lục Chính Biên", 1848 (Part I), 1864 (Part II), 1879 (Part III).</ref>
* In 1816, according to [[Jean-Baptiste Chaigneau]], Emperor Gia Long officially claimed the sovereignty of the Paracel Islands, which would include the present-day Spratly archipelago. These two islands were later delineated distinctly under the reign of his successor, Emperor [[Minh Mạng]]. Chaigneau was one of the most respected advisors to Emperor Gia Long. He spent more than 30 years in [[Cochinchina]] and became the first French [[Consul (representative)|Consul]] to this [[Monarchy|kingdom]] in 1821.<ref>J. B. Chaigneau, ''Le Mémoire sur la Cochinchine'', 1820.</ref>
* In 1821, the ''Lịch triều hiến chương loại chí'' (歷朝憲章類誌) published by Phan Huy Chú, a historian, an encyclopedist, and an officer of the Ministry of Construction in the time of emperor [[Minh Mạng]]. This remarkable work was prepared in 10 years (1809–1819) and consisted of 10 volumes. One of them, the ''Địa Dư Chí'' volume, details territories of [[Dai Nam|Dai Nam Kingdom]]. In 1838, he published the Đại Nam Thống Nhất Toàn Đồ, the Unified Đại Nam Complete Map, that distinctly delineated Vạn Lý Trường Sa (the Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank) and Hoàng Sa (the Golden Sandbank).<ref name="PHC"/>
* In 1827, a world atlas produced by Belgian geographer Philippe Vandermaelen was published in Belgium. Vietnam was described by four maps in this atlas. One of these maps has the title "Partie de la [[Cochinchina|Cochinchine]]", in which Paracel Islands was [[:File:Partie de la Cochichine.jpg|included]], indicating that it was part of Cochinchine (southern Vietnam region). The map also featured geography, politics, minerals and statistics about the Empire of [[Vietnam|An Nam]] (former name of Vietnam). Moreover, the map titled "Partie de la Chine" in the atlas had identified [[Hainan]] Island as the southernmost point of China at that time.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://thanhniennews.com/politics/vietnam-submits-atlas-as-proof-of-island-ownership-26288.html | title=Vietnam submits atlas as proof of island ownership | publisher=[[Thanh Niên]] | date=14 May 2014 | access-date=7 June 2014 | author=Thanh Nien News | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525201409/http://thanhniennews.com/politics/vietnam-submits-atlas-as-proof-of-island-ownership-26288.html | archive-date=May 25, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
* In 1833, Emperor Minh Mạng ordered the Ministry of Construction to build a temple, erect steles, and plant many trees on the islands for navigation purposes.<ref name="MCG"/><ref name="DNTLCB"/>
* In 1834, Emperor Minh Mạng ordered Trương Phúc Sĩ, a naval task unit commander, accompanied by 21 men sailing to the islands to survey and draw map of Hoàng Sa.<ref name="TSSĐ"/>
* In 1835, Emperor Minh Mạng issued a royal ordinance to order 24 troops to the Paracel Islands. Generations of the Đặng family have preserved the royal ordinance and publicly disclosed it in early 2009.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/2009/04/090402_sacchi_hoangsa.shtml Tìm thấy sắc chỉ cổ về Hoàng Sa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090404175021/http://www.bbc.co.uk/vietnamese/vietnam/2009/04/090402_sacchi_hoangsa.shtml |date=April 4, 2009 }}, BBC, Retrieved February 4, 2009.</ref>
* In 1835, the King ordered Phạm Văn Nguyên's naval task unit, accompanied by workers from Bình Định and Quãng Ngãi provinces, to build Hoàng Sa temple with a wind screen and erect steles on Bàn Than Thạch (Bàn Than Rock) of the present-day Woody Island. The mission was completed in 10 days. Notably, about 33m southwest from the erection, there was a little ancient temple where a stele engraved with the words "Vạn Lý Ba Bình" found. This inscription means Ten Thousand Leagues of Calming Waves. The date of the actual erection of the ancient temple remains unknown<ref name="MCG"/><ref name="DNTLCB"/>
* In 1836, Emperor Minh Mạng received a report from his Ministry of Construction that recommended a comprehensive survey of all the East Sea islands because of their "great strategic importance to our maritime borders."<ref name="MCG"/><ref>''Khâm Định Đại Nam Hội Điển Sự Lệ'', The Great Encyclopedia of History of the Nguyễn dynasty</ref> The King ordered Phạm Hữu Nhật, a royal navy commander, to erect a wooden stele on the islands. The post was engraved with the following inscription: ''The 17th of the reign of Minh Mạng by the royal ordinance commander of the navy Phạm Hữu Nhật came here to Hoàng Sa for reconnaissance to make topographical measurements and leave this stele as record thereof.''<ref name="MCG"/><ref name="DNTLCB"/>
* In 1838, Bishop [[Jean-Louis Taberd]] published the "Latin-Annamese Dictionary". The dictionary contains the "An Nam Đại Quốc Họa Đồ" (The Great Annam Map). In the neighborhood of the present-day coordinate of the islands, words found on the map read "Paracel seu Cát Vàng" (Paracel or Cát Vàng). Cát Vàng means Hoàng Sa, Golden Sands or Golden Sandbank.<ref name="JL"/>
* In 1842, ''Hai Lu Do Chi'', a historical Chinese document was written in the 22nd year of the reign of the [[Daoguang Emperor]] (1820–1850) of the [[Qing dynasty]] (1644 to 1912) of China. A statement found in this book read: ''Wang Li Shi Tang (万里石塘) is a sandbank rising above the sea. Several thousand leagues in length, it forms a rampart on the periphery of the Kingdom of [[Annam (French colony)|Annam]]''. Wang Li Shi Tang means Ten-thousand-league Long Sandbank.<ref name="MCG"/>
* In 1858, [[Napoleon III]] ordered French troops to attack [[Tourane]], the present-day Đà Nẳng city. Subsequently, France launched more attacks and forced Cochin China and some provinces in the South to become her colonies. [[French Indochina]] was formed in 1887 and consisted of [[Tonkin]], [[Annam (French protectorate)|Annam]], [[Cochin China]], and [[Cambodia]].
* The 1887 [[Chinese-Vietnamese Boundary Convention]] signed between France and China after the Sino-French War, which, according to China, put the islands in the Chinese territory.<ref name=Wortzel>{{cite book |last1=Wortzel|first1=Larry M.|last2=Wortzel|first2=Larry|last3=Higham|first3=Robin|year=1999 |title=Dictionary of Contemporary Chinese Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rfu-hR8msh4C&pg=PA180 |publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-29337-5 |page=180}}</ref> In fact, the treaty only clarified Gulf of Tonkin sea border and other land border issues between Vietnam and China.<ref>{{Citation|last=Nguyen|first=Thi Hanh |title=1. Le processus de délimitation de la frontière terrestre sino-tonkinoise entre la France et la Chine (1885-1895)|date=2019-01-18|work=Les conflits frontaliers sino-vietnamiens : De 1885 à nos jours|pages=63–107 |series=Quaero|place=Paris|publisher=Demopolis |isbn=978-2-35457-156-6 |url=http://books.openedition.org/demopolis/1383|access-date=2021-05-19}}</ref>
* 1895–1896, German vessel ''Bellona'' and Japanese ship ''Himeji Maru''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?209361|title=Himeji Maru Cargo Ship 1888-1896|website=Wrecksite|access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref> sank at the islands. Chinese fishermen looted and resold them at [[Hainan]]. These countries protested but local Chinese authorities, the Governor of Liang Guang, denied any responsibilities on the ground that the Paracels were abandoned and belonged to neither country.<ref name="MCG"/>

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:MinhMang royal ordinance 1.jpg|The Royal Ordinance issued by Emperor Minh Mạng, 1835
File:HoangSa.jpg|Đại Nam Thống Nhất Toàn Đồ—The Unified Đại Nam Complete Map (1838)—distinctly delineated Hoàng Sa and Vạn Lý Trường Sa at the far right margin
File:Paracels.JPG|1880 German map of Southeast Asia, locating the Paracel Islands as part of "Annam"  (Vietnam)
File:Nam-Triều Quốc-Ngữ Công-Báo (南朝國語公報) số 8 (1938) - Dân Làm Báo.jpg|Imperial edict no. 10 of 29-02-Bảo Đại 13 (30 March 1938) transferring the Paracels from the [[Quảng Ngãi province]] to the [[Huế|Thừa Thiên province]] issued by the [[Bảo Đại]] Emperor as recorded in the ''Nam-Triều Quốc-Ngữ Công-Báo'' (南朝國語公報, "Bulletin of the [[Nguyễn dynasty|Southern dynasty]] in the National Language") số 8 (1938). Referring to the islands as "sovereign" (''chủ-quyền'') territory of [[Vietnam|the South]] (''nước Nam'') since "long ago and under previous dynasties" (''đã lâu đời và dưới các tiền triều'').
File:SacLuat-HoangSa.jpg|Decree no.174-NV from the presidency of [[Ngô Đình Diệm]], Republic of Vietnam, redistricting the Paracels as part of [[Quảng Nam Province]] effective 13 July 1961. The Paracels were previously part of [[Huế|Thừa Thiên–Huế Province]] since 30 March 1938, when redistricted by the government of [[French Indochina]].
</gallery>