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         | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 HANOI, VIETNAM Arrival Ceremony President Luong will greet President Clinton and escort him to the dais where both Presidents will review the band, the honor guard and members of the Vietnamese delegation. The two Presidents will then proceed into the building for a photo opportunity and a bilateral meeting. The Presidential Palace is a large French-built structure which formerly housed the Governor General of Indochina, built in 1901-1906. It is set back along a circular driveway behind ornamental wrought iron gates. The banquet room itself has about one third of the overall space partially separated from the main room by large columns. Photo Opportunity and Bilateral Meeting with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong Tour Temple of Literature The Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was founded in 1070 by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong, who dedicated it to Confucius (in Vietnamese, Khong Tu) to honor scholars and men of literary accomplishment. In 1075, the Royal College was opened on the site to prepare princes to rule the country, with admittance later expanded to include sons of aristocrats and mandarins and still later to those who succeeded in regional examinations. The Temple continued to serve as the royal university until 1802 when the Nguyen dynasty moved the University to Hue. The temple consists of five courtyards arranged in linear fashion from south to north. An outer wall surrounds the entire complex and the courtyards themselves are divided from each other by walls with a main central gate and smaller gateways on either side. From 1484 to 1779, stone markers, called stelae, were erected to commemorate the names, places of birth and achievements of scholars who passed doctoral examinations. Bilateral Meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai As Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai is the head of the government. The Government Office, a functional, two-story white building, is adjacent to the Presidential Palace. Speech at Hanoi University Hanoi National University was founded in 1993 and unified some major leading universities in Hanoi dating back to the 1950s. The University is a multi-disciplinary institution and research center. The University consists of 3 affiliated colleges, 5 affiliated faculties and schools, 11 affiliated institutes and centers, 42 departments and 27 research centers. The student population encompasses more than 22,700 full-time and 34, 000 part-time students and more than 1, 300 full-time and 200 part-time graduate students. State Dinner Cultural Performance Following the State Dinner, President Clinton will attend a cultural performance at the Hanoi Opera House, including traditional Vietnamese music and dance.
President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore |