The research has shown there is various connection between Guangdong and Vietnam diplomatic envoy in literature activities, which has enriched the connotation of Guangdong literary comprehend the interflow and process of disseminating of Chinese-Vietnamese literature. In Guangzhou, Vietnamese envoy can interact with foreigners because it is a trading port that near to Hong Kong and Macao. Furthermore, they are able to observe the Asian oceanic culture from Guangzhou, in order to expand the view on East Asian-Chinese research. This meant to be seeing the world from China.
Introduction
The intimate connection between Vietnam and China can be seen in the 17th century. Mo Tien Chi from Guangdong reclamation at Ha Tien Vietnam, while Vietnamese envoy being sent to Guangdong for an unofficial diplomatic mission. These have brought them into a different experience and widen their scope of international background knowledge.
In Qing dynasty (19th century), Vietnam literary activities enlivened across Guangdong. Based on the documentary and writings of Vietnamese envoy in Guangdong, Guangzhou area has a great transformation due to the rise of western culture and powers in 19th century. Despite that, the intensive experience of foreigner through the transformation in Guangdong can be read through the writing of the envoy.
Based on the poem writings from Vietnamese envoy in Guangdong, this paper not only focused on exploring the reasons of Vietnamese envoy diplomatic missions and literary activities in Guangdong, also the interflow of Vietnamese envoy with local people in order to enriched Guangdong literature history and the view for East-Asian Chinese culture.
Method
This paper is using reference collation and analyzing the method to combine the historical materials and local chronicles, to the extent of keeping abreast of the purpose for Vietnamese envoy active in Guangdong. By using the collection references, this paper will show the interflow of literary and cross-cultural communication between Vietnam and Guangdong. The research method can be divided into four parts as shown in below.
1. There are four parts in collecting data for this research paper. Firstly, references on Vietnamese envoy be sent to Guangdong on a diplomatic mission, the envoy’s biography and recorded documents on Vietnamese envoy in China. Secondly, going through the references by sentence reading, version comparison and check against the authoritative text. Thirdly, to acquaint China and Vietnam scholar’s exposition on the biography and references on Vietnamese envoy. Lastly, read the books about historical biography, envoy’s poetic, cultural studies and bibliography of Vietnamese envoy and Cantonese literal.
2. To make an induction of literary development and appearance of Vietnamese envoy in Qing dynasty based on the results of research in Vietnamese envoy, in order to enrich the research on Vietnamese envoy.
3. This research paper not only focused in Vietnamese envoy literary activities at Guangdong during Qing dynasty, also the records for Cantonese literal in Vietnam. Besides that, researchers hope to find out the reference on how Cantonese literal record the interaction between Vietnamese envoy and literal and do comparison with envoy’s references in order to provide different perspective.
4. Based on the above research method, researchers will propose the valuable role and position of Vietnamese envoy on Guangdong history literary.
Result and discussion
In the year of 1790 to 1884, there are 14 Vietnamese envoys who play a crucial role in conducting the literary activities in China Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau area, which are entailing approximately 20 envoy’s documents on Guangdong. The poetic collections are using “the other” perspective to record the details about observation in the history of transportation, foreign affairs, and the Chinese society for both countries. The Sino-Vietnamese literature interaction can be seen from the intercommunion and versicle art between Vietnamese envoy and local literal of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Besides that, it can propose the relationship of these countries by books publication and sales market at the period of time.
Conclusion
In the 18th century and 19th century, there is 14 Vietnamese envoy passed by Guangdong with different diplomatic missions. Based on the result of this paper, it clearly is shown that the western power is strongly affecting Vietnam. Vietnamese envoy’s purpose in Guangdong is to investigate and get close with the Western. This can be seen in the transformation of Vietnamese envoys in intercommunion from local literal to merchants and publications, and lastly to approach local officers who know western mechanical. Other than that, they make use of local business man from purely foreign trading into purchasing western great weapons and fighting vessels.
It was an unpredictable outcome in the books of Vietnamese envoy writing the figure of Guangdong local literal. There are having big progress in cultural exchange from the intercommunion and publication between both countries. Since the envoy’s reference is being shown to the public, it will be a bright prospect for the research in the cultural exchange between China and Vietnam. In addition, the style and features of Guangdong in the 19th century can be profoundly described by the foreign envoy.