17th Century (Le Dynasty) Map of Vietnam + Paracel

Toan Tap Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do Thu by Do Ba

This is an atlas of Vietnam drawn by Do Ba in the 17th century. In the map of Quang Ngai district, there are the following notes: “An elongated sandbook lies in mid sea known as the Golden Sandbank”, “every year by the last month of winter, the Nguyens would send there a fleet of 18 boats to retrieve ship-wrecked cargos….”

Map of “Route Through Quang Nam” (Le Dynasty in the 17th century) drawn by M.G. Dumoutier who based on the Vietnam atlas “Route Map from the Capital to the Four Directions”(Toan Tap Thien Nam Tu Chi Lo Do Thu) compiled and drawn by Do Ba, alias Cong Dao, in 1686.
In its notes attached to the map of Quang Ngai district, Quang Nam provine, Do Ba described “an elongated sandbank lying in mid-sea known as the Bai Cat Vang (Golden Sandbank). Every year, in the last month of winter, the Nguyens would send eighteen boats to Bai Cat Vang to retrieve ship-wrecked cargoes, which included jewels, coins, arms and ammunition”.

**Many thanks to Truc Le for forwarding this historical piece of evidence to strengthen the historical basis of our arguments.