Den Ngoc Son, or ‘Jade Mountain Temple’ is one of the most revered religious complexes in the capital. Established by the scholarly mandarin Nguyen Van Sieu (1799–1872) appropriate symbols of learning and literature mark the temple complex. A stylised stone ink slab rests atop the arched gate at the entrance; nearby a tapering stone pillar representing a traditional Chinese brush pen rises through five levels. On its side, three Chinese ideograms proclaim ta thanh thien, or ‘writing on a clear sky’. Beyond the entrance, a red-painted, gracefully arched wooden bridge leads across the still gre

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Den Ngoc Son, or ‘Jade Mountain Temple’ is one of the most revered religious complexes in the capital. Established by the scholarly mandarin Nguyen Van Sieu (1799–1872) appropriate symbols of learning and literature mark the temple complex. A stylised stone ink slab rests atop the arched gate at the entrance; nearby a tapering stone pillar representing a traditional Chinese brush pen rises through five levels. On its side, three Chinese ideograms proclaim ta thanh thien, or ‘writing on a clear sky’. Beyond the entrance, a red-painted, gracefully arched wooden bridge leads across the still green waters to a small island in the north of the lake. This is the celebrated The Huc or ‘Rising Sun’ Bridge, where groups of Vietnamese children often huddle hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the lake’s legendary turtles.

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