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We arrived in Hanoi the evening of the 20th,
after an all day trip through Bangkok. The next morning we awoke to life in a big city – 3 million
or so people call this home, and the first place we went was to the Temple
of Literature. Founded in 1070
as a university to educate mandarins, it developed a well defined way to
rank people according to countrywide tests.
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From 1442, the results of the triennial examinations
were carved in stone here – for over 350 years. Every person was ranked – there were about 20 to 100 who
passed every three years, and only 2 or 3 of them with high honors. The stone, or stele, are mounted on
the back of turtles, an important animal in Hanoi lore. Legend has it that Heaven gave
emperor Le Toi a magic sword to drive the Chinese out of Vietnam, and when
he had finished, a giant turtle rose up out of the depths of the lake in
the center of the city and took the sword back!
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Bill stands in the doorway of Successful Gate. When a person passed the
examination, he was allowed to pass through these gates as a fully accredited
mandarin – with the credentials to prove it carved in stone nearby. The mandarins ran the country, and
their word was respected almost everywhere.
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