Cham Manuscripts, the Endangered Cultural Heritage from a Lost Kingdom

Abstract

AbstractThis article describes the endangered situation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam. Cham are a minority people in Vietnam who used to have their own kingdom called Champa that lasted from the seventh century until 1832, when Champa was eliminated by the Vietnamese. For hundreds of years, Cham people have produced many palm-leaf and paper manuscripts recording their religious teachings, culture, and history. About 600 Cham manuscripts have been collected by institutions in France and Vietnam. Yet, there are a few thousand more manuscripts still available in Cham communities located in Central Vietnam. Most of the manuscripts kept by these communities are however in poor physical condition and urgently need to be better preserved. This article first provides background information on Cham people and Cham manuscripts. Next, it describes the current preservation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam, explaining why these invaluable materials of the Cham cultural heritage are in an endangered situation. Finally, it briefly discusses solutions for the preservation of Cham manuscripts in Vietnam. Information used in the article is mainly based on observation from two recent field trips to Vietnam by the author.