Temple of Literature
The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was founded in1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in order to honor scholars of literary. Later in 1076, the place was reestablished as Vietnam’s first university that is used to educate sons of mandarins. During that time, the fifth courtyard, Ouac Tu Giam or School for the Sons of the Nation, was used as classrooms and dormitories. The temple is actually a complex made up of five main courtyards and divided by gates -the two courtyards in front of the temple were newly added in the early 19th century. The temple is now a peaceful asylum for urban people. Most of the spaces in the compound are devoted to gardens, fishponds, gates and footpaths through avenues of trees.

The place was truly a tribute to the greatness of the knowledge as it can be seen on the inscription on the gate at the main entrance requiring any visitors in the ancient time–ordinary citizens or kings–to dismount their horses before entering.

One Pillar Pagoda
The original motive to build the famous One Pillare Pagoda (Chua Mot Cot) stemmed from the celestial dream of the Emperor Ly Thai Tong, reigning from 1028 to 1054. The heirless emperor dreamt that he had met Quan The Am Bo Tat (Goddess of Mercy), who handed him a male child while she seated in the middle of a lotus flower. After that, the emperor married with a young peasant girl who bore him a son. The One Pillar Pagoda was then constructed as a gratitude to the goddess in 1049.

The pagoda bears a resemblance of a lotus blossom, built as a wooden shrine on a single stone pillar of 1.25m in diameter. It was reconstructed after being destroyed by the French in 1954. The child is well respected by the locals and located near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, another revered monument.