Pen Tower - Dai Nghien, a unique architectural and cultural work at Sword Lake

Coming to the capital city of Hanoi with thousands of years of culture, visitors will visit and admire many ancient architectural masterpieces bearing the mark of national culture. Among them, Pen Tower - Dai Nghien is one of the unique cultural works at Hoan Kiem Lake that tourists cannot ignore.

Pen Tower and Dai Nghien are architectural blocks in the Ngoc Son temple relic area, Hanoi. These exquisite architectural works transport visitors to a world of architectural beauty and a unique combination of art and history.

According to historical records, these two works were built in 1865 by current Hanoi prosecutor Dang Huy Ta and retired prosecutor Nguyen Van Sieu during the reign of King Tu Duc. Pen Tower was built on the foundation of a mountain called Doc Ton Mountain. Legend has it that, after defeating the enemy, Lord Trinh Doanh ordered his soldiers to build Doc Ton Mountain and set up an altar here. Later, Nguyen Van Sieu built the Tower on this mountain with the wish that "The mountain symbolizes victory, the tower symbolizes culture, the tower is made taller thanks to the mountain, the mountain thanks to the tower is passed down forever".
Pen Tower is located outside the entrance of Ngoc Son Temple. Doc Ton Mountain where the tower is built is a mountain of stacked stones with a diameter of 12m and a height of 4m. Pen Tower has a square shape with five floors. The top of the Tower is an upside-down feather pen pointing to the sky, both the handle and nib are 0.9m high. The total height of the pen tower is 28m. On the three floors in the middle of the tower, there are three words "Ta Thanh Thien" engraved in Chinese - meaning "Writing on the blue sky", expressing the towering aura of the scholars. ancient lady.

Dai Nghien, with its elegant inkstone shape, brings calmness and freshness. Balance and uniformity in each line create a delicate and reassuring beauty.

Dai Nghien is carved monolithicly from a green stone, shaped like a peach cut vertically and concave into the basin. The study is about 0.97m long, 0.8m wide and 0.3m high. The research team is three toads (toads), on the research body are engraved 64 Chinese characters written by Than Sieu himself. The essay has a very profound meaning, with the general meaning of advising the kings of the past if they knew how to use people. will do many things; However, many historians have said that the text on the pedestal has been edited and many words have been removed compared to Mr. Sieu's original.
s
Together with Pen Tower, Dai Nghien has created a wonderful space, connecting souls and making people feel the beauty of ups and downs of Vietnamese history and culture. The beauty of Pen Tower - Dai Nghien is not only physical beauty but also contains wisdom and patriotism, making them a solid symbol of Vietnamese culture in general and the capital Hanoi in particular.


More than 150 years have passed, Dai Nghien - Pen Tower is still a constant source of inspiration, a lasting historical and cultural relic in the heart of modern Hanoi city. Their antiquity and serenity create a unique picture, where the spirit of the past remains intact, enjoying peace amid the hustle and bustle of today's urban life. It is a clear certification for the lasting strength of Vietnamese culture and history.

Pen Tower and Dai Nghien are not only unique architectural works but also cultural symbols, expressing sublime philosophy and the spirit of good. In the relic complex of Ngoc Son Temple and Hoan Kiem Lake, they stand out like precious gems, adding to the value and meaning of this space.