Hue Temple of Letters
Hue Temple of Letters, popularly known as Van Thanh, was dedicated to Confucius and most celebrated Confucian scholars of China and Viet Nam. It was also here that stone steles bearing names of successful candidates in the national examinations in the Nguyen Dynasty were erected.
After Hue had been made capital of the country, the construction of a new Temple of Letters was started in 1808. It was located on the north bank of the Huong River, 500 meters west of the Thien Mu Pagoda. It was once an ensemble of seven buildings and many minor constructions including 32 steles which bore names of doctors and some others. The doctor steles here are not as big as those in Ha Noi. They are all put on tortoises made from stone or marble with various poems and decorations.
Hue Temple of Letters is valuable historic remains. Visiting this temple, tourists can understand more about the tradition of knowledge appreciation and study encouragement of our ancestors from the old times.
36. Hue Temple of Letters was built to honour ______________.
A. the kings of the Nguyen Dynasty
B. Confucius, and most celebrated Confucian scholars of China and Viet Nam
C. the doctors in the national examinations during the Nguyen Dynasty
D. only the most celebrated scholars of Viet Nam throughout the history
37. Hue Temple of Letters was built because ______________.
A. Hue would have its own Temple of Letters
B. there had not been any before
C. the old one had collapse
D. the Nguyen kings loved literature very much
38. All of the following statements are true about Hue Temple of Letters EXCEPT that ______________.
A. stone steles bearing names of successful candidates in the national examinations in the Nguyen dynasty were erected there
B. it was located on the north bank of the Huong River
C. its stone steles are as big as those in Ha Noi
D. it once had seven buildings and some minor constructions around
39. Many tourists want to come to this place because.
A. they love its beautiful architecture and the beautiful landscape
B. they want to encourage literature and knowledge appreciation as the ancestors did during the Nguyen Dynasty
C. they want to understand more about the Vietnamese culture and architecture
D. they want to learn more about the tradition of knowledge appreciation and study encouragement in the past
40. The word “ensemble” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to.
A. A. a pair of things B. an assembly C. a group of things D. a gathering
