Temple of Literature Hanoi
Temple of Literature (Vietnamese: V?n Mi?u is a temple of
Confucius in
Vietnam.
Although several V?n Mi?u can be found throughout Vietnam, the most
prominent and famous is that situated in the city of Hanoi, which also
functioned as Vietnam's first university. It is featured on the back of
the one hundred thousand Vietnamese ??ng bank notes
The landmark was founded in 1070 as a Confucian temple. Only parts of
the V?n Mi?u complex date back to the earliest period, although much of
the architecture dates to the Lý (1010 – 1225) and Tr?n (1225 – 1400)
Dynasties.
In 1076 Vietnam's first university, the Qu?c T? Giám or Imperial
Academy, was established within the temple to educate Vietnam's
bureaucrats, nobles, royalty and other members of the elite. The
university functioned for more than 700 years, from 1076 to 1779. Given
the extreme difficulty of the doctor laureate tests, few students passed
final examinations. The list of names engraved on the stone stele every
year during this period is very small. The stele records 2,313 students
graduating as doctor laureates.
Emperor Lê Thánh Tông established the tradition, dating back to 1484,
of carving the names of the laureates of the university on stone steles
that were placed on top of stone tortoises. Of the 116 steals
corresponding to the examinations held between 1142 and 1778, only 82
remain.
According to the book the Complete History of the Great Viet, "In the
autumn of the year Canh Tuat, the second year of Than Vu (1070), in the
8th lunar month, during the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong, the Temple of
Literature was built. The statues of Confucius, his four best disciples:
Yan Hui (Nhan Uyên), Zengzi (T?ng Sâm), Zisi (T? T?), and Mencius (M?nh
T?), as well as the Duke of Zhou (Chu Công), were carved and 72 other
statues of Confucian scholars were painted. Ceremonies were dedicated to
them in each of the four seasons. The Crown Princess studied here."
This ancient Confucian sanctuary is now considered one of Hanoi's
finest historical sites. The temple is based on Confucius' birthplace at
Qufu in the Chinese province of Shandong. It consists of five
courtyards lined out in order, entrance to the first, via the impressive
twin-tiered V?n Mi?u gate, leads to three pathways that run the length
of the complex.
The centre path was reserved for the king, the one to its left for
administrative Mandarins and the one to its right for military
Mandarins. The first two courtyards are peaceful havens of ancient trees
and well-trimmed lawns where scholars could relax away from the bustle
of the city outside the thick stone walls.
Entrance to the third courtyard is through the dominating Khuê V?n
Các (constellation of literature), a large pavilion built in 1802.
Central to this courtyard is the Thien Quang Tinh ("Well Of Heavenly
Clarity"), either side of which stand two great halls which house the
true treasures of the temple. These are 82 stones steles. Another 34 are
believed to have been lost over the years. They sit upon stone turtles
and are inscribed with the names and birth places of 1306 men who were
awarded doctorates from the triennial examinations held here at the Qu?c
T? Giám ("Imperial Academy") between 1484 and 1780, after which the
capital was moved to Hu?.
The fourth courtyard is bordered on either side by great pavilions
which once contained altars of 72 of Confucius' greatest students but
now contain offices, a gift shop and a small museum displaying ink
wells, pens, books and personal artifacts belonging to some of the
students that studied here through the years. At the far end of the
courtyard is the altar with statues of Confucius and his four closest
disciples. The fifth courtyard contained the Qu?c T? Giám, Vietnam's
first university, founded in 1076 by King Ly Can Duc, but this was
destroyed by French bombing in 1947.
The complex has undergone much restoration work, most recently in
1920 and again in 1954, but remains one of the few remaining examples of
later
Lý Dynasty (1009-1225) architecture within easy walking distance of Ba Dinh square.
One Pillar Pagoda - Chua Mot Cot
Close-by the impressive presidential palace is a treasure and a
landmark of Hanoi. It appears somewhat bizarre, but is a small and fine
gem: „the M?t C?t Pagoda” (One-Pillar Pagoda). The name is immediately
evident; its second name is Pagoda of the goddess Quan Âm. Quan Âm is
the goddess of the mercy. According to the legend the goddess Quan Âm
appear to King Lý Thái Tông (1000 - 1054) in a dream. The king was
already old and still childless and sought a successor. In the dream
Quan Âm handed him a son while seated on a lotus flower. The king then
took a farmer girl as concubine and had a son by her, who is the long
desired successor to the throne forecasted by the goddess. Deeply
gratefully Lý Thái Tông built in the year 1049 the M?t C?t Pagoda in
honors of the goddess of mercy. As the name suggests the pagoda stands
on one pillar in the middle of an artificial square lake.
In the season, the lake is covered by lotus flowers. The pagoda
itself is wooden and about 3 x 3 meters. Inside resides a statue of Quan
Âm. In the course of its 1000 year history this pagoda was destroyed –
and rebuilt - many times. The French occupation army last destroyed it
shortly before quitting Viet Nam. In 1955 it was – again –
reconstructed, this time – unfortunately! - with a concrete pillar
instead of the original wooden pillar. Unfortunately? It could be seen
as the pragmatic Vietnamese attempt to connect the tradition with the
modernity. Whether concrete or wood, the Bodhisattva Quan Âm will
continue to be admired here as child-bringing goddess. This delicate
pagoda is worth a visit anyway.
Do Temple
Location: Located in Dinh Bang Village, Tu Son Town, Bac Ninh Province, 15km from Hanoi.
Characteristics: Do Temple worship the eight Kings of
Ly Dynasty
and is famous for its unique architecture. Formerly, the Do Temple was
famous for its architecture, highly praised through the verses: "The
architecture of the Do Temple is marvelous and worthy to the
thousand-year-old history of Thang Long"
Do Temple was built during the Le Dynasty and has been altered
several times since. The major reconstruction took place under the reign
of
Le Trung Hung, in the 17th century.
In front of the Temple lies a semi-circular lake, with clear and full
water all the year round. The lake is connected with two ponds at both
ends of the village, with the Tieu Tuong River in front of the village.
In the center of the lake stands a square house reserved for water
puppetry performances with two beautiful tiered roofs. To the south of
the lake, there is a huge pavilion to preserve stone slabs inscribed
with the merits of the eight kings of Ly Dynasty, and to the north of
the lake, a 5-compartment floating house for visitors to take a rest.
The Temple's gate includes five doors made of hard wooden plates
assembled together and carved on top images of dragons waiting upon the
moon. When the door opens, its two leaves are wide apart, and the two
dragons on top of the doors seem to be soaring. On day, the dragons'
eyes when catching the light shine like gemstones. Along the three-step
staircase, are carved two stone dragons with clouds around, on a green
stone floor, symbolizing the Thang Long (Soaring Dragon) Capital.
Passing the gate and a large yard, a green stone paved road leads
visitors to a square house, with eight tiered roofs and three
compartments, 70m2 in area. Then there is a 7-compartment front worship
house, 220m2 in area, whose front walls are hung with two big posters
displaying capital letters: "Eight Kings together brightening" and "Co
Phap Commune - a foundation of the Ly Dynasty".
Then a three-compartment house, 80m2 in area, with eight tiered
roofs. These three compartments are spacious and ventilated and on the
axis leading to the Co Phap ancient back pavilion, 180m2 in area, and
with the floor space in the shape of a Cong letter...
Different parts of the Do Temple are being restored one after another
by skilful craftsmen. A rolling of drumbeats was suddenly heard,
signaling the start of a procession to bring the tablet of King Ly Thai
To from the Do Temple to the Ung Tam Pagoda where the King's mother was
worshipped for a reunion of the King and his mother. The procession was
attended by a thousand of people, who expressed the spirit of the
Vietnamese, i.e. "when drinking the water, think of its source".
Thien Mu Pagoda
Location: Thien Mu Pagoda is situated on Ha Khe Hill, on the left
bank of the Perfume River, in Huong Long Village, 5km from center of
Hue City.
Characteristic: It was built in 1601, and then
Lord Nguyen Phuc Tan
had it renovated in 1665. In 1710, Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu had a great
bell cast (2.5m high; 3,285kg) and in 1715, he had a stele (2.58m high)
erected on the back of a marble tortoise.
The name of the pagoda comes from a legend: a long ago, an old woman
appeared on the hill where the pagoda stands today. She told local
people that a Lord would come and build a Buddhist pagoda for the
country's prosperity. Lord Nguyen Hoang, on hearing that, ordered the
construction of the pagoda of the "Heavenly Lady".
Several kings of the Nguyen Dynasty such as Gia Long, Minh Mang,
Thieu Tri and Thanh Thai, all had the pagoda restored. Phuoc Duyen Tower
(at first called Tu Nhan Tower) was erected in 1884 by King Thieu Tri.
This octagonal tower has seven storeys (21m high). Dai Hung shrine, the
main-hall, presents a magnificent architecture. As well as bronze cast
statues, it shelters some precious antiques: the bronze gong cast in
1677, the wooden gilded board with Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu's inscriptions
(1714). On both sides of the pagoda are a room for the bonzes and a
guest-room for visitors.
The pagoda is surrounded by flowers and ornamental plants. At the far
end of the garden stretches a calm and romantic pine-tree forest. The
pagoda was heavily damaged in 1943. Bonze Thich Don Hau hence organized a
great renovation of the pagoda that lasted for more than 30 years.
Thien Hau Temple in Ho Chi Minh City
Chùa Bà Thiên H?u (The Pagoda of the Lady Thien Hau) is a Chinese
style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in the Cho Lon (Chinatown)
district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is dedicated to Thiên H?u, the
Lady of the Sea ("Tian Hou" as transcribed from the Chinese), who is
also known as "Mazu".
Thiên H?u is a deity of traditional Chinese religion, who is revered
in the southern maritime provinces of China and in overseas Chinese
communities. Thiên H?u is worshipped in the seafaring Chinese
communities of Fukien, Canton, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. She is not
specifically a deity of Taoism or of Buddhism, though she has been
brought into connection with figures and themes from Taoism and
Buddhism. For example, at Quan Am Pagoda, also in Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh
City, the two major altars are dedicated respectively to Thiên H?u and
to Quan Âm (the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara).
The temple is located right on busy Nguyen Trai Street. It can be
accessed by entering through an iron gate and crossing a small
courtyard. The roof is decorated with small delicately fashioned
porcelain figurines expressing themes from Chinese religion and legends.
Lanterns and wooden models of Chinese theaters hang over the entrance.
The interior of the temple is actually a partially covered courtyard,
at the end of which is the altar to Thiên H?u. The exposed portions of
the courtyard contain incense burners, and open the view to the
remarkable porcelain dioramas that decorate the roof. The dioramas show
scenes from a 19th century Chinese city, and include such colorful
figures as actors, demons, animals, and Persian and European sailors and
traders. In one scene, actors depict a duel on horseback battle between
the revered halberd-wielding general Guan Yu of the novel Three
Kingdoms and another fighter. Another scene depicts the three Taoist
sages representing longevity, fecundity and prosperity.
The altar to Thiên H?u is dominated by the three statues of the
goddess. The faces are bronze in color, and the clothes and crowns are
multi-colored. Incense burners are all about.
