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Research Article

Buddhist Woodblocks in Northern Vietnam: The Characteristics, Preservation, and Meaning in the Context of Buddhist Literature in Vietnam

Jungmin Ha

Sogang Institute for East Asian Studies, Sogang University

Published: February 2023 · Vol. 42 No. 1 · pp. 1-30

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33334/sieas.2023.42.1.1

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Abstract

A multitude of Buddhist woodblocks is housed in Buddhist temples in northern Vietnam. Most of these Buddhist woodblocks are Mahāyāna sūtras inscribed in Chinese characters. This study traces the transmission of Buddhism and Buddhist sūtras to Vietnam and examines the development of woodblock production as a printing technique in Vietnam. It also explores the characteristics, preservation status, and future utilization plans of the Buddhist woodblocks, focusing on the woodblocks stored in Vĩnh Nghiêm Temple and several Buddhist temples, which are the most well-known Buddhist woodblocks in northern Vietnam. The woodblocks were produced in a very similar manner to those of China, but reflect Vietnam’s unique Buddhist culture which is distinct from China. The study on these woodblocks is expected to contribute to not only grasping the overall aspects of Buddhist traditions published in Vietnam, but also completing the previously missing parts in the list of Buddhist literature spread in the Sinitic world.
Keywords: VietnamBuddhist SūtrasTripiṭakaWoodblockUNESCO Memory of the WorldMemory of the World Committee for Asia and the PacificChùa Vĩnh NghiêmNguyễn DynastyChữ NômQuốc ngữ