Visitors at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Photo VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Centre for Scientific and Cultural Activities of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature – National University) in Hanoi has put into operation an automatic multi-language guide system to serve domestic and foreign tourists.
The system provides service in eight languages, namely Vietnamese, English, French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and Chinese.
The centre’s director Le Xuan Kieu said his centre is in charge of providing guide services in foreign languages but it can only serve a limited number of foreign guests with most popular languages, hence the idea of the automatic interpretation system.
The system contains stories about Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam, helping visitors learn about the establishment and development of the relic site as well as its historical and cultural values.
The centre also put into service a ticket office and a new signage system.
Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam is one of the most important Confucian symbols in Vietnam, which was established in 1070-1076 under the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225). After many royal examinations, in 1482 King Le Thanh Tong (who reigned from 1460 to 1497) ordered the erection of stone steles inscribed with the names and native lands of the first laureates of the royal examinations, which was first held in 1442.
Between 1442 and 1779, 124 doctoral examinations were held but now only 82 stone steles are preserved in Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam. The steles are placed on the back of stone turtles, symbolizing the immortality of the national quintessence.
The 82 stone steles have a great value of sculpture and calligraphy. All of them were carved from stone in Dong Son, Thanh Hoa province by artisans in Hong Luc and Lieu Chang villages in Kinh Mon district, Hai Duong province, which is famous nationwide for the craft of making wood-blocks and inscribing on stele.-VNA
