One Pillar Pagoda and Temple of Literature-Hanoi, Vietnam (With Narration and Music)

This is the One Pilla Pagoda, built in 1049. The One Pilla Pagoda is an historic Buddhist temple, and is regarded as one of Vietnam's two most iconic temples. The original name of the pagoda was Dien Huu, which literally means long-lasting happiness and good luck. The temple is built of wood on a single stone pillar, and it's designed to resemble a lotus blossom, which is a Buddhist symbol of purity. Over its 1,000-year history, the One Pilla Pagoda has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. It was last rebuilt in 1955 after the French destroyed it before leaving Vietnam. According to legend, the goddess of mercy, Quan Am, appeared to King Le Tai Tong in a dream. The king was old, childless, and sought a successor. In the dream, the goddess handed the king a son while seated on a lotus flower. The king then took a farmer girl as a concubine and had a son who became the successor to the throne, all of which was forecasted by the goddess. The king built the pagoda in honor of the goddess of mercy. This is the temple of literature. It is dedicated to Confucius, the philosopher. Confucius was a Chinese thinker and philosopher who lived from 551 to 479 BC. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, and sincerity. He believed in the golden rule, what you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others. Confucius' works are studied in many Asian countries, including China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The temple hosts the Imperial Academy, which was Vietnam's first national university. It was built in 1070 at the time of King Ly Han Tong and was established within the temple to educate Vietnam's bureaucrats, nobles, royalty, and other members of the elite. The university remained open from 1076 to 1779. In 1802, the Nguyen Monarchs established a new imperial academy in Hue, the new capital of Vietnam. The academy at the Hanoi Temple lost its prominence and became a school. The statue of Confucius stands in the Great House of Ceremonies at the far end of the fourth courtyard of the temple of literature. This large red lacquered statue of Confucius depicts him seated on a throne at the main altar of the temple, with the palms of his hands facing toward one another at chest level.