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Historical & Cultural Vestiges
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Location: Ngoc Son Temple is on Hoan Kiem Lake, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Characteristic: Hoan Kiem Lake was already considered the most beautiful lake in Hanoi when Ngoc Son Temple was built on an island in the 19th century. Initially, the temple was called Ngoc Son Pagoda and was later renamed Ngoc Son Temple, since temples are dedicated to saints.
Saint Van Xuong, considered to be one of the brightest stars in Vietnam's literary and intellectual circles, was worshipped there. National hero Tran Hung Dao is also worshipped after he led the Vietnamese people to victory over the Yuan aggressors.
The temple as it is today is the result of renovations made by Nguyen Van Sieu in 1864. A Confucian scholar, Nguyen Van Sieu had a large pen-shaped tower built at the entrance of the temple. On the upper section of the tower, also called Thap But, are three Chinese characters Ta Thanh Thien, which literally means "to write on the blue sky” is to imply the height of a genuine and righteous person's determination and will; Dai Nghien, meaning "ink stand", is carved from stone resembling a peach placed on the back of the three frogs on top of the gate to the temple; and The Huc, meaning "where rays of morning sunshine touch".
On the way to the temple there are several parallel sentences (cau doi), written on the walls. These cau doi were part of traditional word puzzles played by educated individuals.
Location: One Pillar Pagoda is on Chua Mot Cot Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Characteristic: The One Pillar Pagoda is a cultural and historic relic, unique for its architectural features.
The pagoda was first built in 1049 under the Ly Dynasty, on the west side of the ancient Thang Long Capital. Its original name was Dien Huu, expressing the wish for longevity for the second King Ly. The pagoda is built in the shape of a lotus blooming on its stem.
The pagoda was built after the description of a dream of King Ly Thai Tong who reigned between 1028 and 1054, in which Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Goddess of Mercy, led him to a lotus flower.
The actual One Pillar Pagoda is the miniature reconstruction of a large, ancient, royal Buddhist building. The pagoda is open daily from 8am to 5pm.
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