The Temple of Literature in Hanoi was recognized on February 25 with a special national relic certificate. The site also received a certificate recognizing its 82 doctoral steles of the Le and Mac dynasties as elements of World Documentary Heritage. The site won these awards due to its role in promoting mandarin education for nearly a millennia, and represents the country's fondness for education and traditional respect for teaching.The Temple of Literature was founded under the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century to worship Confucianism. This special site holds immense cultural heritage value in terms of the country's history and arts, science and education, documentary information and has remained a pride for Hanoians and Vietnamese people through its thousand-year tradition.The foundation and development process of the Temple of Literature was associated with the course of many famous men, including the kings Ly Thanh Tong, Tran Nghe Tong and Le Thanh Tong. In 1484, to honor talents and encourage study, King Le Thanh Tong began erecting doctoral steles at the site which depict the profiles of a total of 1,307 graduates that sat 82 royal exams between 1442 and 1779.Through 1,000 years of history, the site has retained much of its original architecture and precious artifacts such as the Constellation of Literature pavilion, doctoral steles, the Dai Thanh Sanctuary and Chinese-language horizontal lacquered boards to promote the tradition of learning and respect for teachers and talented Vietnamese people. Many Vietnamese generations have honored the Temple of Literature as Vietnam's first university and the most typical Confucianism symbol of the city and the country. Today, the Temple of Literature remains a popular place used to grant certificates or degrees to school or university graduates and has also become a popular tourist destination for domestic and international visitors and leaders from many countries.Thanks to the special historical and cultural values and the vitality of the site, in early March 2010, the 82 doctoral steles at the Temple of Literature were recognized by UNESCO as World Documentary Heritage in the Asia-Pacific region and on a global scale in July 2011. On May 10, 2012, the site was also recognized by the Government as a special national site of historic importance.Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said: "In recent years, Hanoi has made great efforts to ensure the preservation and promotion of this special site. We believe that leaders of the city, the education and culture sectors, each family and Hanoian in general will take their own initiatives and actions so that later generations can have a more thorough understanding about the Temple of Literature, about the tradition of learning to defend and develop our country." Vice Chairwoman of Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said: "Hanoi pledges to continue its tasks of preserving, restoring and promoting the value of the site. At the same time, the city expects further assistance and cooperation from different sectors, from people across the country and international organizations to retain this precious heritage".

Source: VEN