Hanoi is a busy city with over 8 million citizens and there are few places where you can escape from the noise. One of those places is the Temple of Literature, which is dedicated to the teachings of Confucius. Unlike pagodas, which are places of worship for Buddhists, the temples in Vietnam are celebrations for famous people in the country’s history. Although Confucius did not live in Vietnam, the country embraced his teachings and creating the Temple of Literature in 1070 and using it as Vietnam’s Imperial Academy soon afterwards.
Statue of ConfuciusEntrance to the Temple GroundsMythical StatueStudents Posing for Graduation PicturesGolden Turtle Symbolizing Long Life
There are five courtyards in the Temple of Literature and each of them serve a specific purpose. From places where the scholars could relax, to areas of study, and altars dedicated to Confucius. Today, it is a busy place with many tourists visiting and we were fortunate to see many students that were celebrating their graduation from the academy.
Altar in the TempleDragon on the RoofBuilding Separating CourtyardsPond in a CourtyardBird on the Back of a Turtle
The Temple of Literature is not located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, so it is a short taxi ride to get there. It is certainly worth taking the time to visit and walk around this historic site with its amazing architecture and golden statues. Walking the grounds and seeing the different courtyards took us a couple of hours and the highlight was seeing all of the graduating students excited to get their diplomas. It was one of the first things that we saw during our time in Hanoi and it certainly made for a memorable start to a wonderful trip.
Beautiful ArchitectureFlowers in a CourtyardMore Students
Caves have provided shelter and safety since the beginning of mankind, so it isn’t surprising that they have also served as places of worship over the centuries. Sometimes they are revered for the historical impact of the location and then become a place where people come to visit in the future based on their faith. Other places serve as actual places of worship just like any traditional temple or church. We have seen several different locations during our travels and each of them was unique and interesting in their own ways. There are so many fascinating places to discover when traveling and finding these caves that inspire people are certainly among them.
Cavern Where the Holy Family Stayed Well Where the Family DrankCrowds Enjoying the Church
Abu Serga Church (The Cavern Church) in Cairo, Egypt – Located in Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo, the Abu Serga Church (also called the Cavern Church and officially the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church) was built over the cavern where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were supposed to have rested at the end of their journey in Egypt. Even during the offseason when we visited, there were long lines to make your way down to the cave and see the altar housed within. The church itself is also very interesting with many historical relics on display.
Altar Within Cave ChurchMain AltarWalking into Cave Church from the Entrance
The Cave Church in Budapest, Hungary – Located at the base of Gellert Hill, the hill that the Citadella (fortress) sits atop, is a system of caves. One of the caves was converted into a chapel in the 1920’s and even served as a hospital for the Germans during WWII. The atmosphere within Cave Church is interesting due to the lack of natural light and the rugged cavern walls. After its conversion to a hospital by the NAZI army during the war, it returned to serving as a church until 1951 when the Soviet Union had it shut down. The chapel was raided by the Soviet Army, the monks arrested, and the cave sealed up until Budapest regained their freedom in 1989. Today, the monks of the Pauline Order continue to operate the church and hold religious functions on the site as well as maintain it as a tourist attraction.
Temple Inside Huong Tich CaveMarker Within the CaveExiting Huong Tich Cave
Huong Tich Cave at Perfume Pagoda in Vietnam – Perfume Pagoda is a complex of Buddhist temples located about a couple of hours outside of Hanoi in Vietnam. At the heart of the complex is Huong Tich Cave and within the cave is Chua Trong or the Inner Temple. During the festival time, from late January through early March, thousands of people visit the temple and the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) path that takes you up to the cave is lined with vendor stalls selling food, gifts, and objects to use as an offering. In order to reach the Perfume Pagoda complex, you need to take an almost hour long boat ride (less if you take a motorized boat) through the beautiful countryside.
Shrine Inside of the Saint Thomas CaveHandprint Worn into the RockBleeding Cross
Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India – After going to several Hindu temples during our stay in Chennai, going to the Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica was a unique experience. The church is built over the tomb of Saint Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, which is one of only three churches in the world to be built over the tomb of a disciple. For a small donation, you are able to enter the cave where Saint Thomas hid and there is even a rock that is supposed to have been worn down by his hand. There is also a spring that is just outside of the cave called the Saint Thomas Fountain, which supposed provided healing powers to those that came to listen to him and people still drink from it today in order to be cured. There is a cross carved into a rock that was believed to be carved by Saint Thomas and many believers report that it continues to bleed to this very day.
Regardless of your beliefs, seeing such unique places of worship is certainly interesting for a variety of reasons. The backdrop of the caves and caverns, some of them natural and some of them man-made add to the uniqueness of these locations.
The historic old town district in Bratislava, Slovakia is a fascinating area with wonderful medieval architecture. It is a very popular area for tourists as well as different artists selling their crafts or playing music. Like many other medieval cities where the city center was originally surrounded by walls, most of the walls have been removed to allow the city to grow, but some of the original walls remain as well as one of the original gates. St Martin’s Cathedral is also a dominant feature of the old town with its bell tower making it the tallest building.
St. Martin’s CathedralWalking the Cobblestone StreetsMichael’s GateBuilding with Part of the Original WallColorful Architecture
The wealthy citizens of the area all built their homes within the walls of Bratislava, each trying to show their prestige, which makes walking the streets of old town architecturally interesting. Michael’s Gate, or St. Michael’s Tower, is the only remaining entrance to the fortified city of the four original gates that previously existed. It is certainly one of the most recognizable features of Bratislava with its clock tower and it was the gate that future Hungarian kings would enter through while on their way to be coronated in St. Martin’s Cathedral.
Looking Up at St. Michael’s TowerWalking the Path of KingsSchone Naci StatueInside of St. Martin’s CathedralOrnate Artwork Inside of the Cathedral
Like all cities in the region, the history of Bratislava is one of occupation from a variety of different conquering armies. Much of its history was under the rule of Hungary and for several centuries it served as the location where the kings of Hungary were crowned. There are crown emblems in the cobblestone streets that denote the path that the king would follow from his coronation to the celebration of the citizens. During this period, from 1563 to 1830, the kings were coronated in St. Martin’s Cathedral making this church an important location for both Slovak citizens as well as Hungarian.
Historical Piece in St. Martin’s CathedralFigurines on the PewsInteresting Features Inside of the CathedralWalking Towards Michael’s GateCity Wall
In addition to the different buildings in Bratislava’s old town, there are also several statues and monuments that are worth seeing as well. Some of the most well known are the Watcher, which is a worker coming out of a sewer to look up women’s skirts, and the Schone Naci Statue, which is a statue of a former citizen who was extremely friendly and had a childlike demeanor. Crowds gather around these statues to take photos of themselves with them, which isn’t particularly our style.
The WatcherFamily Pews with FigurinesMore Artwork in the CathedralAnother Church in BratislavaOld Building in Old Town
We spent about three hours wandering around the streets of Bratislava’s old town and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. The buildings are quite colorful and architecturally interesting making every street unique. Although there were quite a lot of people on the streets, we found our time in Bratislava to be quite relaxing and even bought a piece of art from an artist near the main square.
Bell Tower of a Church Above the StreetsClock Tower in the Town SquarePeople Walking in One of the SquaresMonument in BratislavaRoof Inside of St. Martin’s Cathedral
