Temple of Literature, Ha Noi


This is temple complex in the heart of Ha Noi is beautiful and architecturally interesting.  It is to honor Confucius and his disciplines, as well as note-worthy scholars of the past.  The temple was built in 1070 AD and sections added over time.  The tortoises above carry inscriptions of names of successful candidates of the royal exams 1442 to 1779.  It's like having the name and place of birth of every National Merit Scholarship Finalist recorded on a stone monument!

The temple structure is complex with several courtyards and lovely design features.  It is well worth several hours of study.  It is a popular place for recent graduates and we saw lots of Vietnamese students in their school uniforms posing for pictures.


A detail of the roof



Confucius with offering of boxes of cookies

There was a performance of traditional music

The roof had offering of money - coins and notes

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