VietNamNet Bridge – Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) held a ceremony in Hanoi on February 25 to receive the special national relic certificate and the UNESCO’s Global Memory of the World Programme’s certificate for its 82 doctoral laureate steles.

In his speech Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan stressed this is the great honour and responsibility of citizens of the capital city and the whole country towards preserving the heritage for future generations.

Over the years, he said the temple has become a popular tourist destination for domestic and foreign visitors and leaders from many countries worldwide.

It helps promote the tradition of learning encouragement of Vietnamese people.

The Deputy PM praised Hanoi’s efforts in preserving and developing the special cultural value of the relic and hoped that the municipal leaders will undertake initiatives to raise the youth’s awareness of the temple and its value.

The highlights of the event were a documentary film on the history of the temple and a unique arts performance.

The Temple of Literature, the first of its kind in Vietnam, was built in 1070 in dedication to Confucius and served as an educational centre for feudal scholars.

It is now the most prominent Confucianism relic across Vietnam symbolizing its culture and intelligence.

Its 82 doctoral laureate steles under the early Le, Mac and late Le dynasties (1442-1779) were recognized by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region in March 2010 and on a global scale in July 2011.

Source: VOV