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HANOI ATTRACTIONS
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One Pillar Pagoda
Temple of Literature- Quoc Tu Giam
Sword Restored Lake
Ngoc Son Temple Hoan Kiem
lake which had been considered the most beautiful lake in the city was in the
19th century added with another object to make it more beautiful and famous.
That was the construction of a temple on the Ngoc (Jade) islet in the lake.
Initially the temple was called Ngoc Son Pagoda. Later it was renamed Ngoc Son
Temple because in the temple is dedicated to saints. Saint Van Suong was a
person considered the brightest star in Vietnam's literature and intellectual
circles. Tran Hung Dao was worshipped because he was the national hero who led
the Vietnamese people to a resounding victory over the Nguyen aggression. The
temple as it is seen today was attributable to the restoration afforts of Nguyen
Van Sieu in 1864. A great Hanoi literature writer, Nguyen Van Sieu himself had a
large pen-shaped tower (Thap But) built in at the entrance to the temple. On the
upper section of the Thap but there are three Chinese characters Ta Thanh Thien
which means literally that to write on the blue sky is to imply the height of a
genuine and righteous person's determination and will. Behind Thap But is Dai
Nghien (Ink Stand). The ink stand is carved from stone resembling a peach, which
is placed on the back of the three frogs on top of the gate to the temple.
Passing through Dai Nghien visitors are to tread on the wooden bridge called The
Huc. The Huc is literally understood as the place where beams of morning
sunshine are touching. Quan Thanh Temple The three ancient Chinese which are still seen today on the
top of the entrance to the temple means Tran Vu Quan. That is
literally the temple which is dedicated to Saint Tran Vu. A
temple is a place for worshipping saints while a pagoda is
dedicated to Buddha and faithful disciplines. Hai Ba Trung Temple The temple is also called Dong Nhan Temple because it is located in the area of Dong Nhan village in Hai Ba Trung precinct. The temple was built in 1142 inder the reign of King Ly Anh Tong. It is dedicated to the two Vietnamese heroines Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. At the inner sanctum of the temple there are two statutes made of fine clay dedicating the two ladies Trung. Flanking on either side of the two statutes of Ladies Trung are statutes of 12 women generals who followed the two Ladies leading their army to defeat the foreign aggressors. In the 5th and 6th day of the second lunar month there is a grand festival organized at the site of the temple to commemorate the two national heroines. West Lake and Youth Road The Youth Road can be compared to a beautiful bridge spanning
across the two large bodies of water - West Lake to the northwest
and Truc Bach Lake to the southeast. This 992-metre-long road has
been made into two-lane road with a line of big trees grown in
between the lanes. On either side of the road is grown with
flamboyant trees, weeping willow trees and Bang Lang trees. In
summer the road looks colorful with the many flamboyant trees in
blossom and Bang Lang trees with violet flowers. Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum After two years of construction, the mausoleum of President Ho
Chi Minh was officially inaugurated on August 29,1975. The facade
of the mausoleum faces the historic Ba Dinh Square. The Ho Chi Minh Museum The museum displays relics about the life and work of President
Ho Chi Minh, a cultural figure and hero of the national
liberation movement (1890-1969). The museum was inaugurated on May 19,1990, the anniversary
of the Centenary Birthday of President Ho Chi Minh. The History Museum The museum is a national museum. It was founded in 1926 and
named "Ecole d'Etreme Orient." In 1958 it was restored
and renamed the Vietnam History Museum. On display are rich collection of archaeological findings of great scientific and
artistic value, illustrating the development of the nation and the
State of Vietnam from the dawn of its history to the period prior of the coming into being of the Vietnam Communist Party. The Revolution Museum The museum is a national museum. It was founded in January
1959, It exhibits relics from various phases of the Vietnamese people's patriotic and revolutionary struggle from the founding of
the Vietnam Communist Party up to the present day. The Army Museum The museum is a national museum which was established in June
1959. War relics and trophies reminisce great periods of the
armed struggle of the Vietnamese people. Evolutions of the two recent great historic battles: the
Dien Bien Phu battle in 1945 and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975
are unfolded again on miniature models. The Fine Arts Museum This is a national museum founded in June 1966. It displays
art works and objects of the various nationalities living in
Vietnam in every period. Prominent are collections of painting of great values by
such famous contemporary artists as To Ngoc Van, Nguyen Phan Chanh, Tran Van Can and Bui Xuan Phai, etc,.
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The original name of the pagoda was Dien Huu
pagoda which literally means long lasting happiness and and good
luck. The pagoda is situated in the western part of the city. It
was first built in 1049 in the reign of King Ly Thai Tong. legend
has it that at time King Ly Thai Tong was very old and had no
sons of his own. One night he had a dream
that he was granted a private audience with Buddha with a male
baby on his hands. Buddha seating on a lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond in the western side of Thang Long Citadel,
gave the king the baby. Month later the queen got pregnant and
she gave birth to a male. To repay the gift from Buddha, the king
ordered the construction of a pagoda with was supported by only
one pillar resembling a lotus seat on which Buddha had been
seated. The pagoda was dedicated to Buddha. 
Temple of Literature-Quoc Tu Giam was the first university
of Vietnam where many students graduated with high flying colors.
Some became doctors of philosophy. In 1482 King Le Thanh Tong
ordered the erection of steles with inscription of all the names,
birth dates and birth places of doctors, and other excellent
graduates who took part in examinations since 1442. At present
there remain 82 steles standing in the premises of Van Mieu. Aprt
from its cultural value, each stele presents an artistic project
of stone carving. Each stele is placed on the back of a turtle
representing the nation's longevity. 
The lake which is not as large as Ho Tay to the northwest is situated in the
center of the city. Because of its unique location Sword Restored Lake is billed
as a basket of lower placed in the middle of Hanoi. The name of Sword Restored
Lake is derived from a legend which has it that King Le Thai To had a precious
sword. The sword. The sword had always been on his side during the 10-year
resistance against the Ming aggressors. After he won over the foreign aggression
and returned to Thang Long Citadel. One day he went out and boarded a royal boat
to cruise in the lake. Suddenly he saw a giant turtle emerging and coming
towards him. The king withdrew his sword and pinpointed with the sword the
direction of the coming turtle for his soldiers' attention. All of a sudden, the
turtle caught the sword between its teeth from the king's hand and submerged.
The king thought that it might have been that during the resistance war against
the Minh aggression, the king was offered sword by genie to help him defeat the
enemy. Now when peace has returned the genie appeared and took back the sword.
With that thought in mind, King Le Thai To named the lake after episode as Ho
Hoan Kiem (Lake of Restored Sword). 
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