Informal Talk: LIAO Xiaoying

The Circulation and Influence of Traditional Law in the Sinographic Cosmopolis: The Compilation and Printing of Hoàng Việt luật lệ in Late Imperial Vietnam

LIAO Xiaoying (EPHE, Paris)

The most important legal code of Vietnam’s Nguyễn Dynasty (1802–1945), the Hoàng Việt Luật Lệ (The Laws and Regulations of Imperial Vietnam), was promulgated in 1812. Written in Classical Chinese, it has been widely regarded as a simple imitation of the Dà Qīng Lǜ Lì (The Great Qing Code). However, the specific version of the Qing code it referenced has remained unclear.

To resolve this issue, the present study conducts a comparative analysis of the Hoàng Việt Luật Lệ and relevant legal documents from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The research demonstrates that the primary reference model for the Nguyễn Dynasty code was actually the Qing legal research work Dà Qīng Lǜ Lì Tōng Zuǎn (A Comprehensive Compilation and Commentary on the Great Qing Code), rather than the official Great Qing Code itself.

Furthermore, through a systematic investigation of key extant documents of the Hoàng Việt Luật Lệ, including printed copies from different collections in Hanoi and Paris, and original woodblocks preserved at the 4th National Archives of Vietnam (Da Lat), the investigation also sheds light on the code’s printing and circulation history over the course of the 19th century and until the present day, discussing the major woodblock and movable-type printed editions on the way.