Vietnam: Children squat for a photograph in front of the stone steles at the Temple...

Although there are many 'Temples of Literature” (Van Mieu) in Vietnam, this one in Hanoi is by far the best known. It was founded in 1070 as a Confucian temple, and in 1076 became the country's first university. Emperor Le Thanh Tong established the tradition, dating back to 1484, of carving the names of the laureates of the university on stone steles that were placed on top of stone tortoises. Of the 116 steles corresponding to the examinations held between 1142 and 1778, only 82 remain. Today, the Temple of Literature is featured on the back of the 100,000 Dong banknote.