BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Department of History//NONSGML Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://history.ubc.ca/events/event/ X-WR-CALDESC:Department of History - Events BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20250130T1440Z-1738248014.5516-EO-24652-23@10.19.146.24 STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTAMP:20260411T141719Z CREATED:20250128T191748Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T224932Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250407T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20250407T120000 SUMMARY: A Maritime Vietnam with Li Tana DESCRIPTION: Despite its 3\,000 kilometre coastline\, few people see Vietna m as a maritime country. In A Maritime Vietnam\, Li Tana presents a powerfu l new argument about Vietnamese history: that key political changes resulte d from the impact\, economic and otherwise\, of the sea. This is a finely l ayered account covering the two millennia before colonisation that radicall y […] X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Despite its 3\,000 k ilometre coastline\, few people see Vietnam as a maritime country. In A Maritime Vietnam\, Li Tana presents a powerful new a rgument about Vietnamese history: that key political changes resulted from the impact\, economic and otherwise\, of the sea. This is a finely layered account covering the two millennia before colonisation that radically restr uctures how we understand the role of the maritime and trans-regional in Vi etnam's early history. Drawing on exhaustive research of Chinese\, Vietname se and Japanese sources\, Li reveals that it is only when viewed against th e background of the sea that Vietnam's past can be properly understood. In contrast to traditional perceptions of an inward-looking society dominated by Chinese cultural influence\, Vietnam was shaped by dynamic littoral econ omic and cultural contact.

Li Tana is currently a se nior fellow at the College of Asia and Pacific Studies\, the Australian Nat ional University. She is interested in the maritime and environmental histo ries of Vietnam and southern China\, from the 2nd BCE to the late 19th cent uries. Her works include The Nguyen Cochinchina (SEAP\, Cornell 19 98)\; Water Frontier: Commerce and the Chinese in the Lower Mekong Regi on\, 1750-1880 (co-ed with Cooke\, 2004)\, Gulf of Tongking Throug h History (Co-ed. with Cooke and Anderson\, 2011)\, and Anthony Re id and the Study of the Southeast Asian Past (Co-ed with Geoff Wade\, ISEAS\, 2012).

Participants are asked to read the Introductio n and Chapter 8 of A Maritime Vietnam. T he book can be accessed and downloaded via the UBC Library: https://go.exlibris.link/3zRS5Hk4. If you encounter trouble accessing the readings\, please email qhuang98@mail.ubc.ca to enquire about PDF files.

The conversation will begin with brief remarks from Professor Li about t he motivation behind the book. Participants will be invited to share their own reflections\, thoughts\, and connections made with the assigned chapter s. Light lunch will be provided. All are welcome\; no RSVP required.

Professor Li will also be giving a talk on her book on the same day\, from 3 PM to 5:30 PM. For more information\, please visit https://sppga.ubc.ca/events/event/m aritime-vietnam/.

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