Next stop: a 1,000 year old university dedicated to the study of Confucius!
The Temple of Litterature is an interesting place. Not many establishments can claim a commitment to higher learning for longer.
Established in 1070 AD by Emporer Ly Thanh Tong (who who remains revered for liberating Vietnam from 1000 + years of Chinese rule), it was originally a temple dedicated to Confucius and the scholarship he espoused. Six years later, under the next emporer, it was formally declared a university (1076) to educate the sons of Mandarins.
I’m nothing of a Confucius scholar, but the old man lived during China’s era of anarchy sometime around 551 BC. A whole series of prospective Emporers and rulers were battling to ascend the Chinese throne & assert their heavenly mandate,,, and didn’t let a little killing get in the way of their personal destinies. Hey,, some things don’t change that much. Confucius didn’t like any of this, so he dedicated his life to a few things other than a legacy of fortune cookie writings. Paramount among them was re-instituting order. Best achieved through education, a strict moral code, bureaucratic government a step removed from the whims of a single man (ie. An Emporer), and the establishment of written laws, among other things.
408 years after the Temple of Litterature was created (1484), Emporer Le Thanh Tong (yes, he’s related) ordered the turtle statues made (called stelae) which have recorded the names of EVERY doctorate of Confucian study to graduate from here (names, birthplace, achievements…). From the first name on the first turtle, dating to 1442, until the practice was discontinued in 1778, there have been 116 examinations, producing some 1,300 doctor laureates. That’s not a big number, considering the 300 years it took to get there.
We were treated to a traditional music performance by Hmong performers (I believe), from the north. My favorite was the clapping instrument. I wonder how you can dress that up a bit, maybe get U2 to take one on their next tour, and really get some recognition going (= ha ha. Ok, nevermind.
The Temple of Litterature is an interesting place. Not many establishments can claim a commitment to higher learning for longer.
Established in 1070 AD by Emporer Ly Thanh Tong (who who remains revered for liberating Vietnam from 1000 + years of Chinese rule), it was originally a temple dedicated to Confucius and the scholarship he espoused. Six years later, under the next emporer, it was formally declared a university (1076) to educate the sons of Mandarins.
I’m nothing of a Confucius scholar, but the old man lived during China’s era of anarchy sometime around 551 BC. A whole series of prospective Emporers and rulers were battling to ascend the Chinese throne & assert their heavenly mandate,,, and didn’t let a little killing get in the way of their personal destinies. Hey,, some things don’t change that much. Confucius didn’t like any of this, so he dedicated his life to a few things other than a legacy of fortune cookie writings. Paramount among them was re-instituting order. Best achieved through education, a strict moral code, bureaucratic government a step removed from the whims of a single man (ie. An Emporer), and the establishment of written laws, among other things.
408 years after the Temple of Litterature was created (1484), Emporer Le Thanh Tong (yes, he’s related) ordered the turtle statues made (called stelae) which have recorded the names of EVERY doctorate of Confucian study to graduate from here (names, birthplace, achievements…). From the first name on the first turtle, dating to 1442, until the practice was discontinued in 1778, there have been 116 examinations, producing some 1,300 doctor laureates. That’s not a big number, considering the 300 years it took to get there.
We were treated to a traditional music performance by Hmong performers (I believe), from the north. My favorite was the clapping instrument. I wonder how you can dress that up a bit, maybe get U2 to take one on their next tour, and really get some recognition going (= ha ha. Ok, nevermind.
posted by jonathan adventures at 4:32 AM
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