We visited the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) towards the end of our stay in Hanoi. It was a beautiful place and I appreciated a great deal of what we saw, but it was a little tourist-y for me. It was a hot day and my husband had Ella strapped to his chest, so we didn’t last as long as we may have if it had only been the two of us.

A little about the Temple:
The Temple was founded as a Confucian Temple and a huge statue and alter to Confucius remain there today. The huge pot of incense lingering nearby made this section of the grounds seem a little calmer and removed from the bustling of people.

The first university in Viet Nam was founded here and I was interested in the rows and rows of big stone slabs that sat on the backs of stone tortoises. These slabs are actually the stelae of the school's successful doctorate candidates. I read that many modern day Vietnamese students come here to pray for success before big exams at school.

Five courtyards make up the Temple, and the greenery does a pretty good job of keeping the traffic and street noise out. I did feel removed from the city when we were there.

Here is a link to a map of the Temple.

Considering it cost less than fifty cents to enter and buy the souvenir guide book, I would say it was a really good deal. Perhaps at other times of the day or week it’s a little less crowded; that would make for a much more meaningful visit. And while I appreciate a good gift shop, there were a few spread out through the small courtyards and I felt they distracted from the architecture and history of the Temple.