Plan and Travel: Van Mieu - Temple of Literature

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

Van Mieu - Temple of Literature

The entrance of Van Mieu

Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is also known as the Temple of Literature. It is a prominent historical landmark in Hanoi that one should not miss. It was the first university in Vietnam in 1076. The layout of the temple is based on the birthplace of Confucius in China.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Literature,_Hanoi)

A beautiful arch in Van Mieu leading to the next courtyard

Doctors' stone stelae are national artifacts

At that time, the students of Quoc Tu Giam were bright students selected through local examinations. They would study Confucian Canons (Four Books, Five Pre-Confucian Classics), practised writing administrative documents, literary compositions and poetry writing for three years before sitting for the National and Royal exams to become doctor laureates and mandarins. The names of doctor laureates were engraved on the doctors' stone stelae and they were recognised by UNESCO in 2011. (Source: Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam brochure)

The garden

The big pond

The orb with dragon design

The altar

There are courtyards with landscaped gardens and a big pond in the temple's compound. It was calm and peaceful therefore, we made it a point to linger around the courtyard before leaving. We were also lucky to bump into a group of graduates in their graduation robes taking photos at the temple. It is a tradition for the Vietnamese students to visit this temple before graduating.