LookAtVietnam – Tran Bien Temple of Literature, built in 1715 under King Nguyen Phuc Chu, was the first temple of its kind in the South. The temple is a place to honor Confucius. It also serves as an educational center.

Nestled near Buu Long Cultural Park, about three kilometers from the center of Bien Hoa City, the temple is emerging as a peaceful and silent space, with curved domes and majestic rooms under the shade of green trees standing in harmony with the surroundings.

The first sight in the temple is Van Mieu Mon (Mon temple of literary), a traditional stele house carved with the glorious epic of Vu Khieu about the process of building the country, building the temple, typical national revolutions as well as educational and cultural traditions of Bien Hoa City.

Tourists can also discover more about Vietnamese history in the tranquil setting of Tinh Quang Lake, as well as at Khue Van Cac, Dai Thanh Mon and especially the stele house of Confucius.

The most striking aspect of the temple is the Bai Duong sanctum, built in old style architecture with red-lacquered designs with parallel sentences hung on pillars. In the center is the altar of the Vietnamese late president Ho Chi Minh in front of a picture of a traditional bronze drum behind.

Eighteen kilograms of soil and 18 kilograms of water from Hung Temple symbolizing the 18 Hung kings and the origin of Vietnam were displayed in the temple.

The temple also honors southern cultural icons such as Chu Van An, Nguyen Binh Khiem, Le Quy Don, Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Le Quang Dinh.

VietNamNet/SGT