{"id":7947,"date":"2021-07-06T12:24:50","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T04:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=7947"},"modified":"2021-07-06T18:17:09","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T10:17:09","slug":"temple-dismount-sign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/temple-dismount-sign\/","title":{"rendered":"Students Pray At Temple’s Ancient Tablet For Good Exam Results, It Turns Out To Be “Dismount” Sign"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students pray at tablet in front of temple, it\u2019s actually a dismount sign<\/h2>\n
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The nationwide university entrance exam in Vietnam is just days away, and understandably, students are getting restless in preparation.<\/p>\n

For those living in Hanoi, a long-running tradition, passed down across generations, is to visit the archaic Temple of Literature<\/strong> to pray for the blessings of ancient scholars.<\/p>\n

Even though the temple is closed this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, that hasn\u2019t stopped hundreds of citizens from lining up in front of a solemn-looking stone tablet in front of it to offer their tributes.<\/p>\n

Many don\u2019t seem to realize the tablet is actually just a sign saying, \u201cdismount from your horse\u201d \u2013 <\/strong>the equivalent of a modern traffic sign.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Students and parents pray at a tablet in front of the Temple of Literature<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: Kinh T\u1ebf \u0110\u00f4 Th\u1ecb<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Erected a millennium ago, the Temple of Literature is believed to be the very first university of Vietnam \u2013 a place of privilege reserved only for the brightest of minds. Over the centuries, it trained generations of renowned scholars. Today, the site is preserved as a major historical landmark and place of worship in Hanoi.<\/p>\n

Normally, the temple is particularly crowded during this time of the year. As it\u2019s believed that praying at the temple will bring academic success, thousands of parents and students often flock here in the days leading up to Vietnam\u2019s nationwide university entrance exam to offer their tribute.<\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Ki\u1ebfn Th\u1ee9c<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, this year, the temple is closed in light of the COVID-19 situation.<\/p>\n

But that hasn\u2019t stopped many adamant citizens from upholding their faith. They settled for the next best thing: setting up offerings and incense at an ancient-looking stone tablet at the temple\u2019s entrance to pray.<\/p>\n

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The tablet in front of the temple is actually a \u201cdismount\u201d sign<\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: Temple of Literature<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The thing is, if you take a look at the tablet, you\u2019ll see that it bears inscriptions of the Sino-Vietnamese words \u4e0b \u99ac (Vietnamese: H\u1ea1 M\u00e3), meaning \u201cGet off your horse\u201d.<\/p>\n

The same sign can actually be spotted at several other historical sites. Its original purpose is to tell entrants to get off their horses before they enter the buildings. Basically, it\u2019s the equivalent of a modern-day traffic sign.<\/p>\n

Perhaps over the centuries, this meaning has been lost to the people of the modern world, and the tablet\u2019s solemn-looking appearance has led to the misunderstanding.<\/p>\n

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Worship smartly and responsibly<\/h3>\n
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The university entrance exam is a major milestone in any Vietnamese student\u2019s life. It is totally fine for them to want to turn to prayers for peace of mind and that confidence boost to perform well on the big day.<\/p>\n

However, faiths and beliefs should be practiced responsibly, with knowledge of who \u2013 or what \u2013 we\u2019re praying to. It\u2019s the least we can do to show proper respect to the deities and to other worshippers.<\/p>\n

For more stories, check out:<\/p>\n