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| The Temple of Literature Complex - a top tourist destination in Hanoi__Photo: VNA |
With the widespread application of digital technology in the preservation and promotion of historical, cultural, educational and sculptural values of the special national relic site of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature Complex), the complex is expected to become the country’s one of the top destinations in terms of smart tourism.
Located in Dong Da and Ba Dinh districts of Hanoi on 5.433 hectares, the complex is completely surrounded by Quoc Tu Giam street to the south, Nguyen Thai Hoc street to the north, Ton Duc Thang street to the west, and Van Mieu street to the east.
Built in the 11th century during the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225), the complex is among the most important Confucian symbols in the country. The relic site consists of Van Mieu (the Temple of Literature) dedicated to Confucius as Confucianism used to be a popular ideological system in Vietnam during the feudal times, Quoc Tu Giam - the first national university in Vietnam, 82 stelae recording the list of 1,307 people who obtained their doctorate between 1442 and 1779, and Van (Literature) lake that was once a place for scholars to discuss literature and compose poems. The stelae in the complex were recognized by UNESCO as a world documentary heritage on a global scale in July 2011 and as the national treasure by the Vietnamese Prime Minister in 2015.
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| Students pray for good luck at the Doctoral Laureate’s Stele House before exams__Photo: VNA |
Regarding the preservation of 82 doctoral stelae in the relic site, the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities (CCSA), Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam, which is in charge of preserving and exploiting the relic site, has stepped up the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence in the digitalization and storage of documents about the complex. It is working with Vietsoft Pro to develop a digital database for the entire complex, including 82 doctoral stelae, significant architectural structures, non-intangible values, related research documents and publications on the complex.
CCSA Director Le Xuan Kieu said the center had completed the inventory of 82 doctoral stelae and explanations about the inventory of 1,307 doctor laureates whose names were carved on these stelae with vital information such as their names, the present names of administrative units of their hometowns, years of birth, years of death and information relating to other doctors. In particular, it has also selected, edited and standardized Chinese scripts, transcriptions, translations and annotations of contents of each stele, and regularly digitized archived documents about the stelae.
To promote the image of the relic site, the center has launched the Electronic Bookcase of Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam consisting of 10 multimedia 3D books, 20 pictorial books, and several other books.
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| The night tour to the Temple of Literature was launched on Oct. 29, 2023, providing visitors with an opportunity to enjoy a taste of quintessence of Vietnamese educational history__Photo: VNA |
The multimedia book series introduces the backgrounds and careers of some cultural celebrities and talents, such as Chu Van An (1292-1370), Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), Luong The Vinh (1441-96), Le Quy Don (1726-84), and Ngo Thi Nham (1746-1803), who have made important contributions to the Temple of Literature and left a deep impression on Vietnamese education.
The e-books can be accessed on all devices: PC, mobile devices with Android, IOS and other operating systems via web browsers without the installation of softwares.
Apart from the e-books and the operation of the 12-language audio tour guide system installed in the complex, the center has launched the night tour themed “the Quintessence of Learning” that offers guests a totally different experience than visiting the UNESCO heritage site during the day.
With the use of modern technologies and lighting, the night tour aims to create a symphony of mysteriously dazzling 3D light, folk music and quintessential values in Vietnamese educational history.
For the immediate future, Director Kieu said that his center would connect Van lake with the stele garden and the Temple of Literature into a complete relic site in terms of geography and activities. In particular, the center plans to host daily and night activities at the relic site in order to turn it into a space of creativities which, he said, must be based on the traditions of learning. Such activities are expected to attract cultural experts and spread the heritage values and creative spirit to the community.
The center has also planned to digitalize all heritage data and develop integrated applications on the website or smartphones so that the public and visitors can participate in the theme-based exploration of the relic. Cutting-edge technologies will be applied in the center’s activities from the management and ticket sale to the provision of sightseeing services to tourists, said Kieu.
Last year, the total number of tourist arrivals to the complex reached two million. The figure included 1.5 million visitors and the rest being students who came to the relic site to study and experience the national education history and traditions.-
