13th April 2010
After our disappointment over our trip to Sapa and a restful night’s sleep at Splendid Star 1 we were ready to move back to our original hotel, Splendid Star 2.
The first order of the day was to hand over our passports to the hotel so we could get our visa extended. Without this, we would need to leave the country next Thursday, losing our opportunity to visit Sapa in the north, plus Hoi An and Hue on the coast. It does seem to be simply a formality, so fingers crossed.
One of the most important historical and cultural sites in Vietnam is the Temple of Literature. This is a rare example of well-preserved Vietnamese architecture. The temple complex consists of 5 courtyards and is dedicated to Confucius. It honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and men of literary accomplishment.
Vietnam’s first university was established here, originally open only to those of noble birth, but later to gifted students from all over the country who came to study the principles of Confucianism, literature and poetry.
We strolled through the imposing gateway and through the first two courtyards with their ancient trees and well manicured lawns.
However, it is in the third courtyard that the true treasures of the temple are found. Sitting upon stone turtles and inscribed with the names and birth places of 1306 men who were awarded doctorates here, 82 stones stelae. These Doctors’ stone stelae are valuable historical records about Vietnamese Confucian education.
The Temple was really busy, not only with western tourists, but with Vietnamese school groups and a party of army cadets (probably on national service) learning about their national history.
We wandered around the buildings where there are shrines to an early director of the university as well as three crown princes who would have been taught here.
We were then lucky enough to come across a musical performance in the cultural area using traditional Vietnamese instruments. It was lovely relaxing music.
The smell of incense from the shrines lingered on the air as we made our way outside where a giant bronze bell and giant drum were housed in separate shelters. One group of school children was taking great delight in jumping up and banging the drum with their hands. The drum was used during special events at the temple.
As we were walking back to the hotel we spotted a pristine white Bentley convertible parked in amongst a raft of motorbikes. It just looked so incongruous I just had to take a snap.
Tonight’s tea was a very local affair. For a few nights we’ve walked past a small street restaurant that appears in the street just outside our hotel. They serve a sort of minced pork on a stick cooked on small barbecues. We decided to have a try and sat down at the tiny stools they use here. The sticks come with a small saucer of very hot dipping sauce and were quite tasty. Watching the locals, there was also other stuff on the menu, but with the language barrier, we were limited to just the pork sticks.
