Cập nhật: 01-01-1970 12:00:00 | Blogs about Vietnam | Lượt xem: 1260
If you own a 100,000 VND banknote, you’ll see an image of this unique structure on its back! As the very first national university in Vietnam, the Temple of Literature (or Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam in Vietnamese) is a formal historical site that reveals Hanoian’s study spirit in the past. It offers an insightful look into Vietnam’s history and culture with beautiful architecture, interesting displays, and more. Here, historians found materials on past education, philosophers found evidence that demonstrates the role of Confucianism in the country, while art researchers found shapes and motifs that reflect the quintessence of national art.
This charming temple is not only a symbol of Hanoi, but also the pride of every Vietnamese. It’s one of the most attractive things to see in Hanoi if you want to learn more about the traditional values of Vietnam in general and its capital in particular.
The Temple of Literature is a temple dedicated to Confucius and also the site of Vietnam’s first university, Quoc Tu Giam. Its Vietnamese name, Van Mieu, literally translates as “Temple of Literature”, while Quoc Tu Giam means “Imperial Academy”.
In addition to being a famous tourist attraction and an informative research institute, this Hanoi Confucius Temple also plays an important role in the locals’ lives that make it an incredible spot to include in your Vietnamese culture tour package. It holds many amusing cultural events on special occasions of the city, most notably the poetry festival and festival calligraphy during the traditional New Year. It’s quite popular among students too, they usually come here to pray for good grades and take graduation photos.
After the great move of the capital from Hoa Lu (now Ninh Binh province) to Dai La Citadel (now Hanoi) in 1010, the Ly Dynasty started to focus more on education. For that purpose, in 1070, King Ly Thanh Tong decided to build the Temple of Literature as a Confucian temple to worship Confucius, scholars and sages.
6 years later, in 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong established the Imperial Academy within the temple to educate talents for the country. At first, only royalty, nobles, mandarins and other members of the elite were allowed to study here. But in 1253, under the Tran Dynasty, it was opened to talented commoners as well.
During the reign of King Tran Minh Tong, Chu Van An was appointed as the Imperial Academy’s rector and became an outstanding teacher in national education. After he passed away in 1370, his altar was created inside the temple to be worshiped alongside other Confucian scholars.
This Imperial Academy lost its glory and became a normal school in 1779, when the Nguyen Dynasty decided to move their capital to Hue and founded a new Imperial Academy there.
During the First Indochina War (1945 – 1954), many parts of this Hanoi temple were used as additional room for the nearby Saint Paul Hospital since its capacity was full. At the beginning of 1947, only a few stones of the temple were still stable after the French attacks.
In 1999, the city of Hanoi decided to renovate the temple on a total complex of 6,150 m² on the old ground of the Imperial Academy, with main architectural works modeled after traditional architecture.
The Temple of Literature features a solemn and elegant architecture that belongs to the royal architecture style of the early Nguyen Dynasty, while the walls bordering it were made from special red bricks created during the Later Le Dynasty. It’s like a peaceful oasis amid the bustling city with ornate gates, pretty water lily ponds, traditional-style pavilions and well-manicured gardens. Sure enough, exploring this lovely destination is one of the most wholesome things to do in Hanoi.
In general, the Temple of Literature consists of three main areas: Van Lake, Giam Garden, and the sacred inner space of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam – which is divided into 5 courtyards.
Located in front of the Temple of Literature, on the opposite side of Quoc Tu Giam Street, Van Lake with its Kim Chau mound is a nice spot where Confucian scholars often gathered for literary commentary sessions in the past. Today, many prominent cultural activities still take place here.
Meanwhile, Giam Garden lying next to the temple is like a little park with lush green trees, an octagonal pavilion, two small ponds and other miniatures. Together with Van Lake, Giam Garden makes up the exterior area of the Temple of Literature.
After crossing 4 tall pillars symbolizing 4 directions East – West – South – North in front of the temple, you’ll see the imposing Van Mieu Mon that leads up to the first courtyard. It’s a typical three-aisle gate often seen in Buddhist architecture, with the central two-floor entrance reserved for royal members, while the left aisle was for administrative mandarins and the right aisle was for military mandarins.
This courtyard ends at Dai Trung Mon, a three-compartment construction supported by wooden pillars with two carp on its roof. According to the Dragon Gate mythology, carp that could leap the falls of the Yellow River at Dragon Gate would turn into a dragon, so the carp is also a significant symbol of effort and perseverance. Dai Trung Mon is flanked by two smaller gates: Thanh Duc Mon (Virtue Gate) and Dat Tai Mon (Talent Gate).
The second courtyard is highlighted by Khue Van Cac – a remarkable structure built in 1805 under the Nguyen Dynasty, and is now the symbol of Hanoi. Khue Van Cac is an 8-roof pavilion built on a square floor paved with Bat Trang tiles, about 1 m above the ground. The pavilion is placed on 4 white-washed stone stilts and features a unique, harmonious architecture with sophisticated carvings. Its circular windows and the wooden slats represent the Constellation of Literature and its light rays. On the two sides of Khue Van Cac are the two gates Bi Van (Refined Literature) and Suc Van (Concise Literature).
On these first two courtyards, there are 12 topiaries that represent the 12 zodiac animals.
In the middle of the third courtyard is a well named Thien Quang, sometimes called the Van Pond. It’s like a big mirror that helps purify people’s minds before they enter the most sacred part of the complex. This square well represents Earth, while Khue Van Cac’s circular windows represent Heaven.
On the two sides of Thien Quang Well are the 82 steles known as “Doctors’ Steles”, all placed on stone turtles, as the turtle is a symbol of longevity and wisdom in Vietnamese culture. Created under the Le Dynasty, they mostly used to depict the most successful students in past royal exams. Researchers believe that there were at least 117 steles, but now only 82 remain. Local students used to rub the turtles’ heads for luck, but now such action is strictly forbidden to preserve the shape of those stone creatures.
These stelaes have been recognized as a world documentary heritage by UNESCO in March 2010.
After passing Dai Thanh Mon, you’ll reach the four courtyard, which is the ceremonial heart of the whole complex. At its center is Dai Bai Duong, a long ceremonial house where sacrificial rituals happen. Dai Bai Duong connects to the gables of Ta Vu and Huu Vu on its two sides, forming a traditional U-shaped architectural cluster.
Behind Dai Bai Duong is Thuong Dien (Upper Hall), where Confucius and his disciples are worshiped. This sanctuary also hosts altars to other honored philosophers of Confucianism. Just like Dai Bai Duong, Thuong Dien is heavily affected by the architectural style of the Later Le Dynasty.
The last courtyard, named Thai Hoc, was reconstructed 24 years ago on the grounds of the original “Imperial Academy”. This courtyard previously belonged to Khai Thanh Temple, a structure built to worship Confucius’ parents, but it was destroyed when the French army bombed Hanoi decades ago.
The Thai Hoc area today includes two buildings placed parallel to each other in the center, two buildings on the left and right sides, a bell house and a drum house. The first centered building, named Tien Duong (Front Hall), often hosts national scientific, cultural and artistic seminars. Behind it is Hau Duong (Back Hall), a 2-floor building used to worship Chu Van An and the 3 kings who built the Temple of Literature and contributed to Confucian education in Vietnam: Ly Thanh Tong, Ly Nhan Tong and Le Thanh Tong. It also displays some artifacts related to Confucianism, as well as the formation and development of the temple.
The left and right buildings are the scientific and cultural office centers of the Temple of Literature complex. If you ever wonder is this worth visiting the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, it's highly recommended because this is like an outdoor exhibition showing the vivid images about the educational lifestyles of Vietnam since the 11th century. The impressive construction of Temple of Literature also bring you to a journey into Vietnamese culture. Located only 2km from the city center, this temple-and-garden complex is one of the most renowned places to visit in Hanoi and an unmissable destination of almost every Hanoi full day city tour. You can easily reach it by walking or catching a cab from the Old Quarter.
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