Temple of Literature, Ha Noi

Temple of Literature, Ha Noi was the first university in Vietnam. Today, it is a historical-cultural relic that many Vietnamese students come to pray for luck in studying and exams, and it is also a place that attracts many tourists. If you have the opportunity to travel to Hanoi, you should not miss this place; there are many interesting things to learn and explore. However, because it is a worship area, there are strict regulations; you can refer to the information below before visiting.

Overview of the Temple of Literature

Address: No. 58 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam Ward, Ha Noi City.

Opening hours: 8:00 – 17:00 daily, including holidays and the New Year. Due to weather reasons, opening hours may change slightly earlier or later, by about 30 minutes.

Ticket price for Temple of Literature – National Tu Giam Hanoi: 30,000 VND/person. The Elderly; people with meritorious services to the revolution and students over 15 years old will receive a 50% discount on tickets. Tickets are free for children under 15 and for people with disabilities.

Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam is located right in the middle of 4 bustling streets: Nguyen Thai Hoc, Temple of Literature, Quoc Tu Giam and Ton Duc Thang. You need to be careful because there are many one-way streets around the Temple of Literature.

Temple of Literature in Ha Noi – a place that is probably very familiar to every Vietnamese person. This monument is the pride of the people of the capital and, for a while, a heroic testament to the educational cause.

History of the Temple of Literature, Hanoi

In 1070, the Temple of Literature was built under the reign of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong. Initially, this was the place to worship Confucius, his followers and disciples (Yan Hui, Zengzi, Zisi, Mencius), as well as the Duke of Zhou.

In 1076, Emperor Ly Nhan Tong built Quoc Tu Giam (Vietnamese: Quốc Tử Giám) – Imperial Academy next door, a place to teach Vietnam’s bureaucrats, nobles, and royalty.

During the reign of Emperor Tran Thai Tong, this place was renamed the National Academy, which accepted students to teach elite civilian children.

During the reign of Emperor Le Thanh Tong, at the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam, began to erect steles of those who passed doctorates.

During the Nguyen Dynasty, Quoc Tu Giam was established in Hue. The Temple of Literature was renovated and later renamed Temple of Literature, Hanoi.

In 1947, the French colonialists fired cannons, collapsing the house, leaving behind the foundation, four stone pillars, and two columns.

• Do you know the architecture of the Temple of Literature?

Places to visit at the Temple of Literature, Ha Noi

The Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam is part of the system of special National Monuments of Vietnam. With a rich history and culture, the relic site is an attractive destination with many sightseeing coordinates.

Van Mieu Gate

Van Mieu Gate means the three-entrance gate. The gate has three doors; the middle door is tall and is actually built on 2 floors. The lower floor is big, the upper floor is small, overlapping the middle of the lower floor. The architectural design features many unique qualities worth noting when studying ancient Vietnamese architecture.

From the outside, the three-entrance gate appears to be three separate structures. The upper floor has three words that mean “Van Mieu Gate”.

Van Pond and Giam Park

Van pond is also known as Giam pond or Minh Duong lake. The pond is located right in front of the gate of the Temple of Literature relic site. Van pond is quite large; in the middle of the pond is Kim Chau mound. On the mound is a place where ancient Confucian scholars held literary commentary sessions.

Located on the western wall of the Temple of Literature, Giam Park is home to an octagonal house, a lake, ornamental plants, and many other miniature features. The garden is a place to visit, relax, and hold attractive cultural activities.

Dai Trung Gate

Dai Trung Mon is the second gate of the Temple of Literature – Quoc Tu Giam relic site. This work consists of 3 compartments, built on a high brick foundation with tiles designed in the style of an ancient communal house roof.

In front and behind the Dai Trung Mon area is an extremely large space with long parallel roads, trees, and open lakes. All create a quiet, peaceful scene in the middle of bustling Hanoi.

Khue Van Pavilion

Khue Van Pavilion was built in 1805 by Governor Nguyen Van Thanh during the Nguyen Dynasty, and has been a symbol of present-day Hanoi. This is a square floor with 8 roofs nearly 9 meters high with 4 upper roofs and 4 lower roofs.

Khue Van Pavilion is located on a square plot of land; each side is about 6.8 meters long. This project impresses with its super unique ancient-style architecture. On the lower floor are 4 square brick pillars intricately carved with patterns. The upper floor is painted in gilded vermilion, with two layers of brilliant red tiled roofs overlapping. Inside the pavilion, a bronze bell hangs from the ceiling to be rung on auspicious occasions. The round windows on the upper floor create a striking feature, like a shining star.

In the past, Khue Van Pavilion was a meeting place for literary scholars. The architecture is simple, elegant, and full of poetic meaning, making people feel relaxed. Furthermore, Khue Van Pavilion is the image printed on the current 100,000 VND note. 

Thien Quang well and Doctoral stele garden

Thien Quang well is also known as Van pond. Thien Quang in Vietnamese means the light of the sky. By giving this name to the well, the builder meant that humans would receive the essence of the universe, illuminate knowledge, improve their qualities, and beautify humanity. The well is square and surrounded by railings up to waist height. Vietnamese ancestors also held the belief that a square well symbolizes the earth, and a round door at the Khue Van pavilion symbolizes heaven.

The essence of heaven and earth is concentrated within this majestic cultural and educational center at the heart of the imperial capital. A small paved path surrounding the well allows people to walk around the well, go up to Khue Van pavilion, enter Dai Thanh gate, or turn to the 2 stone stele gardens on both sides.

But perhaps the most valuable relics here are the 82 Doctor’s steles erected on the right and left sides of Thien Quang well, 41 on each side in 2 horizontal rows, all stele faces facing the well. These steles are placed on the backs of stone turtles, with the information of 82 valedictorians from many dynasties of Vietnam recorded on them.

Of the 82 steles remaining today, the earliest was erected in 1484 and engraved with the names of doctors who passed the faculty in 1442; the last was erected in 1780. According to historians, there are an estimated 117 stone steles, but due to wartime devastation, only 82 steles remain intact.

On March 9, 2010, these 82 stone steles were recognized by UNESCO as part of the World Documentary Heritage.

Khai Thanh Temple

Located at the end of the relic site is Khai Thanh Temple. This place worships Confucius’s parents.

Previously, Khai Thanh Temple was a residential area with 150 rooms for students. In 1946, the French colonialists bombarded Khai Thanh Temple; the structure was completely destroyed. Later, the temple was rebuilt and preserved to this day.

Dai Thanh Gate – Dai Bai Duong

Dai Thanh Gate is a building with 3 tile-roofed compartments and 2 sturdy porch columns in the front and back.
Dai Thanh Gate (door of great success) opens to the area of the main architecture, the place to worship the seventy-two most honored disciples of Confucius and Chu Văn An (a rector of the Imperial Academy). This was also the school’s teaching place in the past.

Through Dai Thanh Mon is Dai Bai Duong (House of Ceremonies). In Dai Bai, there are many precious horizontal panels, incense altars, a pair of ancient cranes, and a large bell cast in 1768. Dai Bai Duong consists of 9 rooms, where ceremonies took place during the period. Spring and autumn worship in ancient times.

Important notes when visiting Temple of Literature Ha Noi:

• Respect monuments, obey the regulations of the relic management units. Do not cause harm to artifacts or the relic landscape. Do not rub the turtlehead, write, draw, stand, sit on the doctor’s stele …
• When coming to the temple, clothes should be clean and neat. Don’t wear very short skirts or pants, revealing clothing, or indoor clothing. Do not smoke or wear hats in the shrine area or showroom.
• Practice a civilized life in the place of worship: No lack of culture; maintain the right attitude during the ceremony; each person lights only one incense stick and burns it at the right place.
• It is strictly forbidden to take advantage of the freedom of belief to perform superstitious activities, gambling, cheating …
• Maintaining hygiene and environmental landscape protection: Do not climb walls or trees, break branches, pick flowers, step on the grass, fish, swim, or throw trash indiscriminately.
• Do not bring weapons, explosives, or flammable substances into the relic.
• Keep the car in the right place and manage your personal belongings to avoid loss.
• Filming activities at Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam may be conducted only with the consent of the monument’s leader.

Source: collected by An