Abstract
At the end of Later Le Dynasty (1735-1789), because of its relatively stable relationship with the Qing Dynasty, to whom it had been sending envoys for a long time, there had formed highly mature institutions and norms for these envoys. The purpose of this thesis, mainly based on 越南漢文燕行文獻集成, was first to explore how these envoys were sent to China, as well as their interaction with emperors, local Chinese magistrates, and Korean envoys. Second, based on materials found in Korean and China, it attempted to supplement with the third-party perspective of Annan envoys in China, so as to construct their lives and personal images in China. Third, through the case study of Later Le Dynasty, it researched the evolution of the Hua–Yi distinction in Vietnam around the 19th century. In general, influenced by the prosperity of the Qing Dynasty, Annan's attitude towards the Hua-Yi distinction was not as unsatisfied as that of Korean, or that of the later established Nguyễn dynasty. Annan envoys often communicated positively with local Chinese magistrates and scholars. From this study, it can be inferred that Vietnam's attitude towards China changed apparently after 1789, and how the newly established Nguyễn dynasty used those surviving officials of Later Le Dynasty to construct national spirit and subjectivity of Vietnam.