Day 206 June 3rd 2007, Confucius he say - Hanoi

From my point of view Hanoi isn't much to look at, a few old French buildings, each covered in a layer of dirt. The guide book describes Hanoi as "sophisticated, modern and yet coolly romantic" compared to where I ask?

So it would be typical that the first time I leave the camera at the hotel we find some beautiful 11th century architecture at the Temple of Literature. All pictures are from Wikipedia. The front gate is inscribed with a request that visitors dismount from their horses, luckily Hanoi's current population have adopted this to apply to mopeds and scooters. I haven't seen a single horse since we've been here, come to think of it there aren't any stray dogs either.


The temple was built in 1070 and dedicated to Confucius A few years later a university was built within the temple grounds. Over the following 700 years over 2000 doctors graduated. Their names and achievements recorded 116 stone plaques, placed on stone turtles, today 82 remain like the one below.


When I graduated from Uni all I got was my name on a printed list in one of the corridors, not quite the same.

Highlights: Ancient University