Temple of Literature was Vietnam’s first university. This place has been through many of the country’s ups and downs. It is also an architectural work that draws tourists from inside and outside Vietnam.
Having been the capital of Vietnam for over a thousand years, Hanoi is home to a wealth of cultural and historical artifacts of immense value. In particular, the Temple of Literature symbolizes Vietnamese people’s long-standing commitment to learning.
Over the years, the Temple of Literature has been a popular tourist spot with many spiritual, cultural, and architectural values. It is also the pride of the people who live in the Hanoi capital.
Where is Vietnam’s first university located?
The Temple of Literature is south of the ancient Thang Long citadel. It is now at 58 Van Mieu street, Dong Da district, Hanoi, right in the middle of four main roads, including Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ton Duc Thang, Van Mieu, and Quoc Tu Giam.
From Hoan Kiem Lake, tourists take Le Thai To street, turn right on Trang Thi street, go to Cua Nam and Nguyen Khuyen streets, and then turn left on Van Mieu street to get to their destination.
The Temple of Literature is one of the most popular places to visit in Hanoi right now. This place is also where many activities take place to honor the tradition of respecting teachers and encourage hard working, talented students from all over the country.
The history of how the Temple of Literature was established and developed
The Temple of Literature was built during the Ly dynasty of Vietnam. The Temple of Literature was built in 1070 by King Ly Thanh Tong to honor Confucius, Tu Phoi, and Chu Cong.
In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong set up The Temple of Literature, the first university. It was a place for princes and people from noble families to go to school.
The building represents the spirit of the Ly Dynasty, which is based on a strong philosophical system, a robust social structure, and a well-developed education system. Many talented construction workers built it for the country.
During the Tran Dynasty, King Tran Thai Tong grew Quoc Tu Giam by letting intelligent and hardworking children from regular families attend this school.
During the reign of King Tran Minh Tong, Chu Van An, a typical teacher of deep education and high morals in Vietnamese education, was named mandarin Quoc Tu Giam Tu Nghiep (Principal) and was the emperor’s direct teacher.
Chu Van An trained many talented people for the country. He often told his students to be honest, to love the people, and to get rid of corrupt officials. King Tran Nghe Tong worshiped Chu Van An at the Temple of Literature after he died in 1370.
After the Hau Le Dynasty, the national education system was set up and did well. The Temple of Literature became the largest talent training center in the country.
King Le Thanh Tong, an emperor who studied a lot and knew a lot about the country’s prosperity and culture, built the stele of the doctorate for those who passed the doctorate starting in 1442.
The doctoral stele was built to honor talented people and encourage learning among the whole population, especially among students, who are very important to the country’s growth. At the moment, the relic still has 82 steles.
In 1802, King Gia Long closed the Quoc Tu Giam school in Hanoi and built Khue Van Cac before the Temple of Literature. The Temple of Literature was set up in Hue during the Nguyen Dynasty.
The Temple of Literature of Thang Long changed into only the Temple of Literature of Bac Thanh town. Later, it became the Temple of Literature in Hanoi.
When the resistance fought back in the war against the French, the Temple of Literature was destroyed.
After many repairs, The Temple of Literature now includes Ho Van, Temple of Literature, Dai Trung Mon, Khue Van Cac, Thien Quang well, Doctor’s stele, Dai Thanh Mon, and Thai Hoc house.
At the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, essential moments in the history of education in the Dai Viet nation are written down.
There have been times in history when this monument has been badly damaged. Getting the Temple of Literature back to how it looks and feels today took a long time and is an excellent example of how to protect and promote heritage values.
Many domestic and international tourists have visited Hanoi to see the Temple of Literature in recent years.
Attractions at the Temple of Literature
The Temple of Literature is about 54,331 m2. Four solid brick walls surround the whole Temple of Literature. Inside, there are a lot of different-sized architectural works.
The Temple of Literature includes five sections. Each section has a Confucian layout, and each class is set up along the North-South axis. The main parts of the Temple of Literature’s architecture from the entrance are the Dai Trung Mon, Khue Van Cac, Dai Thanh, and Thai Hoc houses.
Temple of Literature is one of a kind because it combines natural landscapes, lakes, gardens, and architectural works in a way that works well together.
Van Chuong Lake is in front of the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, but Quoc Tu Giam Street separates it from the temple.
The lake’s campus is 11,932 m2, and the Kim Chau mound is in the middle of the lake. On the rise is Phan Thuy Dinh, a place where Confucian scholars often gather to talk about poetry and literature.
Temple of Literature’s Main Gate
The main gate of the Temple of Literature is called Van Mieu Mon, built in the style of a three-part structure with three doors and two floors. The upper floor has three words Van Mieu Mon in ancient Chinese characters.
Ancient people said everyone who went through the Temple of Literature had to get off their horses, lower the hammock, and walk, whether public servants or general. This action is to pay their respects in front of the stele.
There are two statues of Stelae commanding horsemen to dismount on each side of the Temple of Literature and four pillars of Nghi Mon in the middle.
At the beginning of the main gate are the Temple of Literature’s four pillars, sacred symbols, and magic.
The two brick pillars in the middle look like two fo dogs coming in and sticking up high. The fo dog is a sign of a holy animal that can distinguish between good people and bad people.
On the lower part of the outer pillar are four phoenixes with their wings spread and tails together. It shows where the ability to learn comes from and how wisdom can spread in all four directions.
Dai Trung Mon (The Great Middle gate)
Dai Trung Mon is the second entrance to the Temple of Literature. The Dai Trung Mon Gate is a three-part structure with a high brick base and a roof made of tiles. A small sign in the middle with the three words “Dai Trung Mon.”
On the left and right of Dai Trung Mon are two small gates. The one on the left is called Thanh Duc, which means “becoming a good person,” and the one on the right is called Dat Tai (becoming a talented person).
In Confucianism, these two gates have a deep meaning. That is, talent and good personality always go together in the promotion career, being a mandarin.
Without a good personality, a talented mandarin can quickly endanger the country. No matter how good they are, this will hurt the people. People who are good but don’t have any talent can’t be mandarin or rule the country.
That is the secret meaning of the ancient sages’ unique architecture, which they built right before the test so they could teach.
The two carp swimming toward the wine gourd on the roof of Dai Trung Mon Gate is a unique feature. Reenact the story of the carp that crossed the dance and became a dragon.
For the learners to “turn into a dragon,” they must go through many hard times, competitions, and challenges to advance to being great mandarins.
Khue Van Cac (Constellation of Literature pavilion)
Khue Van Cac was built out of wood in 1805. Its architecture looks like a shining Khue star.
The Khue Van attic is a square floor with eight roofs built on a high square foundation with Bat Trang tiles. This building is a unique architectural design.
The bottom floor comprises four brick columns, and the top floor is a two-story wooden building with a tiled roof. There are intricately carved frills and patterns in wood on all four sides.
On each of the four sides of the attic, there are four round windows with wooden slats radiating out from them. This style represents the light of the star Khue.
Stelae of Doctors and Thien Quang Well (Well of Heavenly Clarity)
The square shape of the Thien Quang well makes it seem like it represents the ground. Thien Quang well is right behind Khue Van Cac. The Well and Khue Van Cac are two works showing how water and wood can work together harmoniously.
There are two rows of doctorate steles next to Thien Quang Well. These steles list the names of the students who passed to become doctors.Each row has 41 steles placed on the back of a turtle.
Each stele is a work of art made by skilled craftsmen for almost 300 years.
The 82 stone steles represent the people who passed at Quoc Tu Giam. They are the most valuable artifacts because they show Vietnamese people’s long-standing dedication to education.
In March 2010, UNESCO named 82 doctoral steles at the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, a World Documentary Heritage in Europe. These steles have a lot of cultural and historical value. Asia-Pacific.
On July 27, 2011, 82 Doctoral steles again named a part of the global World Documentary Heritage.
Dai Thanh Mon (Attained Talent gate) and Dai Bai Duong
Two structures, Dai Thanh Mon and Dai Bai Duong, are in the middle of the Temple of Literature. They are also the most important buildings there.
There are two Bai Duong buildings on the outside and a Thuong Cung building on the inside.
The facilities are set up, so they are next to each other and follow each other. This place is where to pray Confucius and Tu Phoi (Nhan Tu, Tang Tu, Tu Tu, Manh Tu).
Dai Thanh Gate can also be considered the main entrance to an excellent career path. This gate is where the main area for architecture starts.
The worshiping system at the Temple of Literature has a total of 9 compartments. Each side has two gable walls, and the front and back are empty.
In the middle of the Bai Duong house is an old incense burner made of wood. It has a Le Dynasty carving that is very intricate. On each side of the incense, two bronze cranes stand on a turtle’s back.
People used this shrine area to worship during the ancient spring and fall festivals. All these things together make a place of worship that is dignified, old, and deep, bringing visitors back to the profound ideas of Viet Nam’s ancestors.
Thai Hoc house
The Thai Hoc area is a building that was designed and built by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1999. It has been fixed up and updated. This area used to have 150 rooms for students, like dorms at universities do today.
But during the Nguyen Dynasty, the Quoc Tu Giam school in Hanoi was closed, and the ethnographer moved to the Khai Thanh house to worship the parents of Confucius.
During the war against the French, this building was bombed and destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1999 by the city of Hanoi.
On the top floor, people worship King Ly Thanh Tong, King Ly Nhan Tong, and King Le Thanh Tong. These three kings have done much for their country and helped build the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam.
The back house is used to worship Chu Van An, a mandarin and a great teacher in Viet Nam.
Opening time and price of a entrance ticket
The Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam Heritage Site is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., even on weekends and holidays.
Cost of a Temple of Literature ticket:
- 30,000 VND for adults
- 15,000 VND for students (with a student card or student card)
- 15,000 VND for people with severe disabilities and the elderly (Vietnamese citizens from full 60 years old and above, with identity card)
- Children under 15 are not charged.
