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Thap But

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About Thap But

Thap But Pagoda, also known as Writing Brush Tower, is a obelisk standing on a small mound of stones to the left of the The Huc. The tower has five tiers, with a steeple at the top. On the side of the tower are the words ta tien qing in Chinese, which translated means "written on the blue sky". There is what looks like an ink slab beside the tower. This is the Dai Nghien, a metaphorical take on an ink pot, while the tower itself is supposed to resemble an ink brush.

Getting there

The Writing Brush Tower is centrally located, on the northeast bank of Ho Hoan Kiem in the centre of Hanoi. It is on the left side of The Huc, the Sunbeam Bridge which leads to Den Ngoc Son, the Temple of the Jade Mound.

Nearby Sights

  • General Post Office
  • Hanoi Fountain
  • Hoa Phuong
  • Indira Gandhi Park
  • Lake of the Returned Sword
  • Le Thai To Monument
  • Ly Thai To Statue
  • Sunbeam Bridge
  • Temple of the Jade Mound
  • Thang Long Water Puppet Show
  • Tortoise Tower

    • Thap But Location Map


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    Writing Brush Tower
    Writing Brush Tower (30 August 2006)
    © Timothy Tye

    Writing Brush Tower
    Writing Brush Tower (1 September 2006)
    © Timothy Tye


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