Definition

1. Noun:
   • An imperial or royal edict of appointment or bestowal: A formal document, historically issued by a Vietnamese emperor or king, used to confer a noble title, official rank, land, or an honorific name upon a subject, a deity, or a historical figure. It represents the sovereign's authority and recognition.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhà vua ban sắc phong cho vị tướng có công. (The king issued an imperial edict of appointment to the meritorious general.)
  • Ngôi đình này còn lưu giữ nhiều sắc phong quý giá. (This communal house still preserves many valuable royal edicts.)
  • Sắc phong thần là di sản văn hóa quan trọng. (Deity-bestowal edicts are important cultural heritage.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical, cultural, or religious contexts related to feudal Vietnam, ancestor worship, and the veneration of national heroes or local guardian spirits (thành hoàng).
• A sắc phong is a physical object, typically made of paper or silk with specific iconography and the royal seal, and is carefully preserved in temples, communal houses, or family shrines.

Variants and Related Words

• Sắc chỉ (n): A royal decree or order, a broader term for an imperial edict, which can include but is not limited to appointments.
• Sắc dụ (n): A royal proclamation or instruction.
• Phong sắc (n): A less common variant with the same meaning.

Synonyms

• Imperial decree of appointment
• Royal charter of bestowal
• Letters patent (in a broader Western historical context)

Related Concepts

• Truy phong (v): To posthumously confer a title or rank.
• Tấn phong (v): To promote to a higher rank or title.
• Bài vị (n): An ancestral tablet, often associated with places that hold sắc phong.

1. Honous, knight