[1] During the Fourth Chinese domination of Vietnam, the book, together with almost all official records of the Trần dynasty, was taken away to China and subsequently collected in the Siku Quanshu.

[6][7][8][9] Although being transferred to China,[10] the Đại Việt sử lược was still preserved in its original form and was published in the Siku Quanshu of the Qing dynasty under the name Việt sử lược; the first character Đại (大, means Great) was left out to suit the Chinese notion of propriety and historical tradition.

[12] In 1978, the Đại Việt sử lược became the first historical book of Vietnam that was translated directly from chữ Hán to Russian.

[14] The contents of the Đại Việt sử lược were divided into three volumes (quyển): The first called Quốc sơ diên cách corresponded with the period from the foundation of Văn Lang, the first nation of Vietnam in the 7th century BCE[15] to the 12 Lords Rebellion (10th century); the second and third books were named Nguyễn kỷ (Period of the Nguyễn)[2] and narrated the reign of the Lý dynasty with the royal family name Lý was changed to Nguyễn by the Trần dynasty in order to avoid the given name of Trần Lý, grandfather of the emperor Trần Thái Tông, and make people forget the former dynasty.

[2] The author of the Đại Việt sử lược appeared to attach special importance to the reign of the Lý dynasty with extensive records while the compilation of the period up to the middle of the 10th century was mainly based on Chinese sources.