Respectful and Friendly about Culture and Society.

Now about to return home by water. Thinking that this student who has encountered danger, although he has been granted grace, but has been in a foreign land for a long time, now hiring a boat to return home, food and travel expenses are inevitably lacking. So he again granted 100 taels of silver to show the Emperor's sincere intention of pitying those in distress, valuing Confucian scholars" [65, 5, p.410]. In the 16th year, similarly, the King also treated the head librarian of the Qing Dynasty's Taiwan district, Lam Sinh Thai Dinh Huong, and his three parents, who were in trouble on a merchant ship; thinking that "this student was of literary origin, unfortunately caught in a storm" [65, 5, p.411].

- The state paid attention to inventorying and preserving all kinds of weapons on Qing government ships that were in distress and ashore. When the military ship of the mandarin Hua Ninh An was in distress in the 13th year of Gia Long, the Phu Yen provincial governor inventoried and took care of more than 100 guns of various types and ammunition. Later, in the 16th year of Minh Mang, the Qing government sent a diplomatic note asking about those weapons, and the court sent an envoy to return all of them to Guangdong.

- The state paid special attention to maintaining political security when Qing naval vessels encountered trouble and reached the shore. In the 4th year of Thieu Tri, 7 Qing naval vessels went out to hunt and captured 8 pirate ships with a population of more than 350 people, which were caught in a storm and drifted into Bich Y port, Thanh Hoa. The king ordered that the soldiers should be temporarily housed in a public house, provided with salaries and money for the group, and that they should pay attention to "sending a guard of 100 soldiers to that port to choose a place to set up a garrison to strictly defend" [65, 8, p.384].

In short, in the policy of gentleness and concern for helping refugees from far away to settle for short or long term, the Nguyen Dynasty paid attention to maintaining the country's political security, while demonstrating the spirit of respecting the wise, caring for and favoring scholars, and at the same time opening its arms to welcome anyone in distress who wanted to settle for a long time.

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3.5.2. Respect and friendliness in culture and society.

The Nguyen Dynasty respected the immigrant culture. The state did not have any cultural prohibitions or repressions. All customs, habits, and beliefs of the Qing people were respected.

respected. The result of this policy was the gradual formation of a Chinese cultural space in Chinatowns across the country.

In Gia Dinh, where the Chinese and Minh Huong people lived in large numbers, Saigon market or Cho Lon was formed and became the largest commercial center in the country with strong Chinese cultural characteristics. The image of Saigon market at that time (now Cho Lon) was specifically recorded in Nguyen Dynasty books in Gia Dinh Thanh Thong Chi by Trinh Hoai Duc and in Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi by the National History Office . Saigon market was described by Trinh Hoai Duc as follows:

"Saigon Street. South of the town hall, 12 miles away, on the left and right of the main road, that is the main street, straight through three streets to the river wharf, across the middle there is a street under the river, a street all the same like a square, the roofs are connected, the corners of the houses touch each other, Kinh people, Chinese people live together, about 3 miles long, trading in all kinds of brocade, porcelain, paper, jewelry. Bookstores, drugstores, street covers, vermicelli shops, the river wharf in the south, the north has everything. At the north end of the main street there is the Quan Cong temple of the street and three assembly halls of Phuc Chau, Quang Dong, Trieu Chau, divided on the left and right. To the west of the main road there is the Thien Hau temple, slightly to the west there is the On Lang assembly hall. To the west of the south end of the main road there is the Chuong Chau assembly hall. On beautiful mornings and good nights, Tam Nguyen, Soc Vang, they hang up displays to show off their beauty, like a fire tree praying for stars, a brocade and jade city, drums and trumpets are bustling, young men and women are in the city Dan, is a bustling and crowded market..." [77, p.187]. Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi also recorded more about Tran Thuong Xuyen temple in Cho Lon area with the note that "during the Minh Mang and Thieu Tri dynasties, he was both conferred the title of Thuong Dang Than, now the villagers worship him, the incense and lights have never stopped" [85, 5, p.235].

In Ha Tien province, the records in Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi also recorded about the old Ha Tien public hall but included it in the section on ancient stories and added about Quan Cong temple: "in My Duc commune, Ha Chau district, originally built by the Minh Huong people, then burned down by the Siamese army, in the 15th year of Minh Mang, the villagers temporarily built a temple out of thatch, in the 2nd year of Thieu Tri, it was covered with tiles, people praying for blessings often received blessings.

response..." [85, 5, p.29]. Mac Cong Tam Vi Temple: "in My Duc commune, Ha Chau district, worships three people: Vu Nghi Cong Mac Cuu, Quoc Lao Mac Thien Tu and Chinh Ly Hau Mac Tu Sanh. Built by his nephew Mac Cong Du" [85, 5, p.29]. The book also records the newly established Thien Hau Temple in Hon Khoai.

In Bien Hoa province, Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi also mentioned the ancient story of Dai Pho Chau and the Quang Dong and Phuc Chau Assembly Halls in Pho island, but it was clearly stated that they no longer exist due to the destruction of war. Only the Quan Cong temple was specifically recorded as still existing and was worshiped by "Thanh and Minh Huong people in the province; the temple remains the same" [85, 05, p.76].

In other localities in the North and Central regions, Dai Nam Nhat Thong Chi had similar records of cultural and religious institutions related to the Chinese, such as in Hanoi, Ha Khau street, "Vietnamese merchants and Qing people lived together, selling things like books, chemicals, and northern medicinal herbs, also called Hang Dao", Viet Dong street, where the Minh Huong people lived together, Phuc Kien street selling bronze, Thanh Ha street with Qing people specializing in opening food stalls...[85, 03, p.198]. In Quang Nam, Hoi An market was still quite bustling in the east of Dien Phuoc district, in the south adjacent to Cai river, on both sides of the tiled streets were two miles long, the river docks were bustling with boats and canoes coming and going like a loom; There were many other Qing merchants residing there, there were 4 states: Guangdong, Chaozhou, Fujian and Hainan, "trading in goods from the North, having market halls and assembly halls, bustling trade, making it a large urban area since ancient times..." [85, 02, p.376]. Thien Phi Temple is in Minh Huong Commune, Hoi An Town, Dien Phuoc District, bustling with incense, in the 6th year of Minh Mang's reign, the royal procession to Quang Nam passed by the temple and was rewarded with 100 taels of silver; Quan Cong Temple is also in Hoi An Town, the king bestowed 300 taels of silver also in the 6th year of Minh Mang's reign when the royal procession passed by the temple [85, 02, p.385]. In Hung Yen, with the old Hien Nam palace and the temple worshiping Duong Quy Phi of the Song Dynasty in Huong Duong village, Kim Dong district (formerly Hoa Duong village, Hoa is Trung Hoa, Duong is the Duong family name of the Royal Concubine of the Song Dynasty), where a large number of Chinese people live. [85, 3, p.311]. Nam Dinh province has two Quan Thanh temples, one at the southern gate of the city, built in the Thieu Dynasty.

The second one; one in the east of the city is worshiped by Minh Huong commune and Thien Hau temple in the east of the city is also worshiped by Minh Huong commune [85, 3, p.352]. Binh Thuan province with Thien Hau temple "outside the citadel of the provincial capital, facing the river, north of the river there is a sand mound; built by the Qing people to worship the goddess Thien Hau [85, 03, p.151] and Quan Cong temple in Tuy Ly district. That book also records An Thinh street, where the Qing people gathered to trade and Quan Cong temple in Lang Son province, [85, 04, p.391]; Thac Mang street in Van Ninh district, Quang Ninh province is where "the Qing people gathered to trade, the tiled houses are like upside-down bowls, also a prosperous place" [85, 04, p.46]. Quan Cong temple in Minh Huong street, Thuy Vi district and Bao Thang market are also in Thuy Vi district, opposite Ha Khau China, in Hung Hoa province; Quan Cong temple in I La commune, Ham Yen district, south of the provincial capital of Tuyen Quang province [85, 04, p.357].

An Englishman, George Finlayson, who came to Saigon around 1822, recorded quite typical images of the Chinese streets here in the book "The mission to Siam and Hue in the years 1821-2" as follows:

"We were strangers, having only been in this city for a few hours; but on every street corner, everywhere we went, we were invited into the homes of wealthy Chinese owners to drink and rest... Among them, we saw three brothers who had probably settled here for quite a while. They dressed in the style of the Southern Chinese, and their appearance looked somewhat different from the local people. Their manner of behavior was quite attractive, open and polite; their house was spacious and pretty. They received us in a large living room with many furnishings..." [128, p.185].

All the available materials have created a picture of a Chinese space in the areas where Chinese people live:

- The Thanh and Minh Huong people live stably in their residential areas, they are not under any pressure or threat from the government or the indigenous community. They live in concentrated community groups scattered in most provinces, often more crowded in commercial centers, border gates and ports.

convenient traffic for business. They have a certain role in the formation of bustling commercial centers and gathering places. Associated with them are also Chinese neighborhoods with cultural characteristics that have certain distinctions from the native residents.

- Their customs and practices are recognized by the government and allowed to be implemented in all aspects of daily life, from clothing to home decoration and communication within and outside the community.

- Their cultural and religious institutions were not only not banned but also received attention from the state, and were even given gold coins by Emperor Minh Mang. They were increasingly developed and built on a larger and larger scale. These institutions were usually:

+ Quan Cong Temple, worshiping Quan Van Truong, almost everywhere where Chinese people gather there is a temple, at first it may be just a simple bamboo and thatch but gradually it is built with tiled walls, spacious and majestic, used as a place of worship but also a meeting place for cultural and spiritual activities of Chinese people.

+ The Assembly Halls of the states are found almost everywhere where Chinese people gather, there are as many Assembly Halls as there are states and basically there are still 4 states: Guangdong, Fujian, Chaozhou and Hainan. This is the place where people in the state meet, where the state leader works, presides over internal affairs, and where the state's archives and public assets are kept. However, it is easy to see that in the Chinese settlements in the North and especially in the areas along the Vietnam-China border, there is almost no presence of this type of institution.

+ Thien Hau Temple, also known as Ba Pagoda, worships Thien Hau Thanh Mau, originally a fishing village girl in Fujian, during the Song Dynasty, named Lam Mi Chau, who is said to have many magical powers and often saved people in distress at sea. Thien Hau Temples are present in most of the Chinese settlements in Central and Southern Vietnam, where immigrants came to Vietnam by sea and from coastal areas, but are rarely seen in Northern Vietnam.

+ Temples to worship the ancestors who have contributed to the community, in Gia Dinh worship Tran Thuong Xuyen, in Ha Tien worship Mac Cuu and his son, in Hoi An worship Thap Lao and That Hien. In Bac Ky, there are no temples of this type but there are two famous temples: Sam Nghi Dong temple in Hanoi and Duong temple of the Song Dynasty's Royal Consort in Hung Yen.

With the living atmosphere and the typical cultural and religious institutions as above, those Chinese spaces have demonstrated a rather friendly and respectful policy on culture and social activities of the Nguyen Dynasty towards Chinese immigrants in Vietnam. Although it had to go through many turbulent times due to the influence of the court's punishments against Chinese elements supporting Le Van Khoi's uprising in the South or causing trouble like bandits in the North, the content of the respectful and friendly policy of the Nguyen Dynasty was generally consistent.

3.6. PREFERENCE FOR MINH HUONG PEOPLE:

As mentioned above, the name Minh Huong first appeared only in Dang Trong. Initially, the Minh Huong people were understood as those who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty. Tran Thuong Xuyen and Mac Cuu were two typical figures of this class; they both became subjects of the Nguyen Lords. Later, the concept of Minh Huong people was understood as generations of mixed-race people, usually Chinese fathers and Vietnamese mothers. The first generation of Minh Huong people of this type had two quite typical historical figures, Mac Thien Tu and Tran Dai Dinh, one was the son of Mac Cuu and the other was the son of Tran Thuong Xuyen. Both of these people grew up during the Dang Trong period and died before Nguyen Anh ascended the throne. In general, the first generations of Minh Huong people integrated into Vietnamese society, a completely natural integration.

During the Nguyen Dynasty, the concept of Minh Huong people also included all people of Chinese origin born in Vietnam. The edict of King Thieu Tri in 1848 quoted in the previous paragraph clearly stated: "...the people of that state (ie the Qing people) who give birth to children, are not allowed to shave their hair to have a pigtail, when they reach the age of 18, the state leader

He must report to the authorities and follow the Minh Huong register...". Thus, the children of Thanh people born on Vietnamese land during the Nguyen Dynasty, regardless of whether they were of mixed race or not, were defined as Minh Huong people when they turned 18 years old.

Recently discovered documents show that this custom did not only exist during the reign of King Thieu Tri but had existed and been implemented before, even during the early years of Gia Long. In a report by the Chief (head) Tran Cong Thai of Minh Huong commune, Vinh Thanh town, in the 11th year of Gia Long, he wrote:

"...In the time of our ancestors, the descendants of the Tang people who submitted to our commune established Minh Huong commune, paying taxes according to the town (...). As for the Tang people, they were divided into villages and towns, with a leader appointed, each side had its own duties...". This passage shows that, perhaps even before Gia Long ascended the throne, this custom existed and continued to be implemented until this year (Gia Long 11). This petition continued with a section explaining the court's order to inspect and register the Tang people and their descendants residing in the area. The section on the Tang people had been properly completed, and a representative had been elected as the head representative. However, the section on the Tang descendants (ie the Minh Huong people) had been violated by the local officials and was questioned: "...so why did Cai Phu take the descendants of the Tang people to establish the Tang people of the village..." and asked for approval: "Those who are descendants of the Tang people should be registered in our commune (Minh Huong)..." Finally, this petition was accepted and approved by the Vinh Thanh town official: "Those who are truly descendants of the Tang people born in the South should be allowed to register with Cai Phu according to the custom. Absolutely do not impersonate as descendants of the Tang people, you will be punished" [101, p.88]. Thus, the concept of the Minh Huong people as "descendants of the Tang people born in the South" has become a custom and was implemented during the Gia Long period. Here, through this petition, it can be seen that the Minh Huong people were aware of themselves as a different social class, not Tang or Qing people like their ancestors.

During the Minh Mang period, this custom was still maintained. The following three documents of Minh Huong Commune, Vinh Thanh Town are worth noting.

In the second year of Minh Mang, Tu Van Khuong, the Cai Trai of the 3rd plantation, Long Ho village, Vinh Truong commune, Vinh Binh district, Dinh Vien prefecture, declared: "...Because his father was a Thanh person in Dong Hoan district, Quang Chau prefecture, Quang Dong province, who went to trade and stayed in the South to give birth to him, now he has a son, a guest Hoi Tu Quan Hoi, 20 years old, from My Thanh station, not yet registered in the village or commune register of any boat team, now he requests that his son, a guest Hoi, be registered in the Minh Huong commune register..." [101, p.108].

Several years later, in the 5th year of Minh Mang, the newly-immigrant Minh Huong person Tu Quan Hoi mentioned above made a declaration for his younger brother Tu Quan Luong, 24 years old, also residing at My Thanh station, to be registered in the Minh Huong commune register with him [101, p.111].

The third document is a declaration of a person named Nguyen Duong Xuan, residing in Long Ho village, Binh Long commune, Vinh Binh district, Dinh Vien prefecture. He stated: "...Because he is a descendant of the Tang people, 28 years old, has not yet immigrated to any village or commune, and is now willing to immigrate to the commune and pay taxes..." [101, p.114].

The three declarations above show that at this time, the registration of Minh Huong people was still maintained as before, but not strictly and there was no clear regulation on the age to be declared in the Minh Huong book, so in the case of Tu Quan Hoi, it was 24 years old, Tu Quan Luong was 20 years old and Nguyen Duong Xuan was 28 years old.

During the reign of King Thieu Tri, with the above-mentioned 1841 edict, the content of which was recorded in the Hoi Dien, the registration of the Minh Huong people was formalized, with specific information about the age of registration (18 years old). Also according to the content of this edict, the cultural characteristic to distinguish the Minh Huong people from the Thanh people was that the Minh Huong people, right from birth, did not shave their heads and braid their hair. And this was a mandatory rule for the Minh Huong people right from birth. When they turned 18, the adult person once again had to carry out a second mandatory rule, which was to register in the Minh Huong book and pay the Minh Huong tax. The first mandatory rule was cultural coercion. The second mandatory rule was nationality coercion. How did these two coercions affect each other?

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