Nhan Dan – The file on the stone steles of 82 doctoral laureates in the Le-Mac dynasties (1442-1779) at Hanoi’s Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) has been recognised as the World Documentary Heritage.

The announcement was made at the annual plenary session of the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Committee for the Asia-Pacific region in Macau, China on March 9.

Van Mieu doctorate steles were Vietnam second item recognised as the world documentary heritage, after the Nguyen dynasty wood-blocks.

The steles placed at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam relic site were engraved with the names of 82 students who won the doctorate during the exams held in the Le-Mac dynasties from 1442-1779.

The eighty-two steles were carved in Chinese script, featuring history of royal exams and the dynasties’ philosophy of education and nurturing talents.

The UNESCO’s recognition is a very significant event for the capital city of Hanoi’s millennium anniversary to be celebrated in October.