Hanoi’s Temple of Literature faces deterioration

Hanoi’s 11th-century site of the Temple of Literature situated on Van Mieu Street, Dong Da District is deteriorating after its last major preservation and renovation project conducted in the 1990s.

Hanoi’s 11th-century site of the Temple of Literature situated on Van Mieu Street, Dong Da District is deteriorating after its last major preservation and renovation project conducted in the 1990s.

Decorative patterns on the roofs of the Constellation of Literature pavilion have come off and a pillar also has seen its render fall off.

A visitor, Nguyen Cong Minh, from Hanoi expressed the hope that local authorities would renovate and upgrade the site.

"The Temple of Literature is a well-known tourist site in Hanoi," he said. "It is also an important cultural and historical relic that should be better-taken care of."

Thanh Binh, a resident in the area said a lot of the site’s lighting had also broken and hadn't been fixed for a long time.

There are more than 10 lamp posts had been broken at the site.

Speaking to Dantri/Dtinews, Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Temple of Literature’s Culture and Science Centre, said that the city planned to upgrade the site but it needed further study and opinions from different agencies and experts.

"It is necessary to renovate the site but as it's a national historical site so the work must be carried out carefully in many steps," he said. "We're making a proposal to different agencies for approval."

Deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Pham Thi My Hoa, said that they expected to start the Temple of Literature’s renovation next year.