TEMPLE OF LITERATURE (V
n Mi
u)
In 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong erected Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) and the carvings of Confucius, Chu Cong the four disciples, and 72 other scholars who were considered to be model Confucians.
In 1076, King Ly Thanh Tong erected Viet Nam’s first university, Quoc Tu Giam (National University), near Van Mieu for the purpose of instructing the children of Mandarins, the aristocrats, and the brightest commoners. During its more than 700 years of instruction (1076-1779), Quoc Tu Giam educated thousands of talented men for Viet Nam. Among the most notable are the mathematician Luong The Vinh, the historian Ngo Sy Lien, the encyclopedist Ly Don, and the politician-diplomat Ngo Thi Nham.
Valued relics representing the millenary civilization are well preserved, such as stelae with inscriptions of the names of distinguished scholars, the Thien Quang Tinh (Well of Heavenly Clarity), the pavilion in dedication of the Khue Van Cac ( Constellation of Literature), the statue of Confucius, the Great House of Ceremonies, the ancient wall, kowtow portico and the sanctuary, the stone dragons, and the ink stone stands.
82 stone stelae which rest upon large stone tortoises were created between 1484 and 1780 and are engraved with the names of 1,306 doctor laureates, their birth places and achievements. These stelae were erected to encourage learning and bestow honor on the talented men who assisted the Kings in defending the country.
CITADELS (C
Loa)
In 257BC, King An Duong (Thuc Phan) built Co Loa or Loa Thanh (Snail-Form Citadel), located 15KM from Hanoi, in the province of Phuc Yen (presently Vinh Phu). Co Loa formed by 3 inter-twined mud-enclosures in labyrinthine fashion that looked like a snail-shell. The first enclosure measured 2X3KM, the second enclosure measured 6.5KM was positioned on higher ground, and the rectangular citadel formed the third enclosure. In the center was the royal palace, surrounded by quarters reserved for the guards.
The first betrayal of Viet Nam recorded in history was committed by My Chau, a royal princess who enticed by the charms of Trong Thuy, a northern prince. She told him the defense secret of the Snail-Form Citadel. Subsequently, the fortress fell into the hands of Ch'ao To (Trieu Da), Trong Thuy's father.
Chinese-style Citadels
In 3BC, the Ch'in rulers of China deported massive numbers of ethnic Chinese into the south hoping to assimilate the Viet people. The Han who succeeded to the Ch'in actually imposed government control over Giao Chi. From this contact the Vietnamese learned military construction techniques from the Chinese and eventually put them to use in the defense of their territory.
In 43AD, when Chinese general Ma "the Conqueror of Waves" Yuan came south to repress the rebellion of the Trung sisters, he met with resistance coming from 65 fortresses or fortified residences. These constructions were built with primitive techniques, consisted of a huge square yard enclosed by mud-walls with cornered watchtowers. Entrance structures with holes covered by thatch through which small archers may be shot were on 4 sides of the citadel. Three little forts formed the outer defense line as alarm posts.
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