Thirty-two imperial edicts and high-level bureaucratic documents from the Lê (1428–1789) and Nguyễn (1802–1945) dynasties, dating from 1638 to 1944 and handwritten in Chinese characters (chữ Nho). The formal edicts are generally on royal yellow paper, centred on a large dragon frequently painted in silver ink and surrounded by clouds, flaming pearls and knots of longevity, their colophons stamped with the imperial seal of ordinance, Sắc mệnh chi bảo (敕命之寶). Several record emperors naming and promoting the deities of the land — an expression of sovereignty exercised not over human subjects but over the gods — and a few grant promotions to military officials. The plainer administrative papers, on plain white paper and stamped with the seal of the creating office, shed light on the earthly politics of the Nguyễn court through the period of French colonial rule; one carries a French seal, indicating it was valid because the colonial office rather than the emperor had approved it. The collection is of particular interest for its continued use of Chinese characters at a time when the practice had largely given way to quốc ngữ. Digitizing Việt Nam (DVN) gratefully acknowledges Penn State University for granting permission to mirror and present this collection on the Digitizing Việt Nam platform, helping make these valuable historical materials more accessible to researchers and the public.