Question re Mountains/ Altitude
From: Eric Jennings <eric.jennings@utoronto.ca>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Dear list,
For my ongoing research on the history Dalat, I was hoping somebody on the list might be able to help me with primary or secondary literature on perceptions of mountains in Vietnamese culture-- over the longue durée. There is obviously a sizeable body of literature on highland minorities, and on the highlands themselves (my own interest being in the South-Central highlands). Yet, other than early colonial-era texts claiming that ethnic Vietnamese feared the mountains, and some primary material I have dug up on Vietnamese settlers and vacationers in the highlands in the 20th century-- and A. Hardy's work-- I have uncovered very little on attitudes/perceptions of mountainous areas.
Any leads on this topic, in any language, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,
Eric Jennings
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Eric Jennings
Associate Professor of History
Northrop Frye Hall Room 310
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From: Oscar Salemink <OJHM.Salemink@fsw.vu.nl>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Eric,
The latest issue of the Journal of Vietnamese Studies 3(3), 2008, has a thematic section entitled 'Minorities at Large: New approaches to minority ethnicity in Vietnam', edited by Philip Taylor. I think that you might find some of the articles helpful.
Oscar Salemink
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From: Martin Gainsborough <martin.gainsborough@virgin.net>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
In my just out edited book ‘On the Borders of State Power: Frontiers in the Greater Mekong Sub-region’, there is a lovely observation by one of the authors that while ethnic Vietnamese civil servants viewed appointments in mountainous areas as unhealthy – and best avoided – the minority people living in those areas had a similar view of the lowlands. We are talking pre-colonial and colonial Vietnam.
The chapter by Emmanuel Poisson will probably be of most interest to you.
Martin Gainsborough
University of Bristol
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From: g.de-gantes@laposte.net <g.de-gantes@laposte.net>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Pr Nguyen The Anh as written an article in French about the western border of Dai Nam in P.-B. Lafont eds, Les frontières du Vietnam (Paris, L’Harmattan, 1989) where he treats about the topics of Vietnamese perception of the highlands and quotes Vietnamese sources.
Mathieu Guérin's book in French (from his PhD), dedicated to the Stiengs (from a Stieng point of view) is on press.
Gilles de Gantès.
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From: Robert Schuessler <bschuess@bschuess.com>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
I don't want to distract from Eric's direction here, but I would like to ask if there is a good explanation available of the geology of Vietnam's mountains, but in particular the unique "little mountains" that protrude from the middle of otherwise very flat coastal areas or river plains. By this I mean the very steep isolated peaks like the so-called "Marble Mountains" between Da Nang and Hoi An and numerous similar examples in the Cuu Long.
Thanks
Bob Schuessler
Orangehelpers.org
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From: David Biggs <dbiggs@ucr.edu>
Date: 2008/12/10
To: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>
Hi Robert and Eric-
There are many ways to go with this query on mountains. For Mekong Delta mountains, there are some French geological tracts going back to the 1890's. The delta mtns were places of retreat. According to Malleret's 1953 studies and more recent research on Oc Eo, the delta mountains were often pilgrimage sites for ancient travelers and features such amenities as public baths. The mountains were important seats for the Khmer srok in the delta, and high points such as Soc Trang (an ancient sand bar) or the Seven Mtns have large Khmer communities living there today. Mountains were also retreats from malaria and cholera epidemics, especially in the early modern period. The Buu Son Ky Huong movt was in part built on a response to the healing powers of the 7 Mtns area near Chau Doc.
Eric, mountains have also long had an association with religious retreat in VN as well. In 1298 Emperor Tran Nhan Tong retreated to Yên Tử Mountain not far from Hanoi and as a poet and ascetic helped establish the Truc Lam Buddhist Sect. This sect is one of the largest mainstream Mahayana Buddhist sects in Vietnam today (Thich Nhat Hanh was I think trained in a Truc Lam monastery), and just outside Dalat is one of the largest TL pagodas in the country. TL in particular seems to be building a lot of new temples and monasteries on mountains in VN. Even in the 7 Mtns area on Nui Cam (near Chau Doc), I saw a new huge TL pagoda being built not far down the road on the summit from an older pagoda and a Hoa Hao Buddhist village. The funding for this monastic retreat was coming largely from Orange County CA.
I don't know how late your study goes - is it still colonial hill stations? - but mountains also seem to have attracted many post-war Vietnamese people interested in retreating from their former lives in the cities or the lowlands for any number of reasons. Check out Bao Ninh's Sorrow of War for some interesting looks at veteran experiences in the mountains.
-David