Temple of Literature

The Temple of Literature, Van Mieu, stands in central Hanoi, west of Hoan Kiem Lake. It was founded in 1070 under Emperor Ly Thanh Tong of the Ly dynasty as a temple to Confucius and his disciples.

In 1076 the Imperial Academy, Quoc Tu Giam, was set up beside the temple, first to educate the sons of the royal family and nobles and later talented students from across the country. It is regarded as the first national university of Vietnam. From 1484, stone stelae were erected to record the names of those who passed the royal examinations. In 1803 the Nguyen dynasty, which made Hue its capital, moved the Imperial Academy there.

The complex is laid out in five courtyards along a north-south axis, separated by walls and gates. The Khue Van Cac, the Pavilion of the Constellation of Literature, built in 1805, is a symbol of Hanoi. In the third courtyard, 82 stone stelae stand on the backs of stone turtles beside the Well of Heavenly Clarity, recording laureates of exams held between 1442 and 1779. UNESCO added these stelae to its Memory of the World Register in 2011. The fifth courtyard has a rebuilt academy hall with an altar to the founders.

Adult tickets cost 70,000 dong at the main gate, students pay 35,000 and children under 15 enter free. Students often visit before exams to pray for good results, and graduates come to take photos in gowns. Dress respectfully.

The grounds cover more than 54,000 square metres, and the plan follows the Confucius temple at Qufu in China. Work on the doctors' stelae began in 1484 under Emperor Le Thanh Tong. There were once 116 of them; the 82 that survive record 1,307 graduates. The fifth courtyard was destroyed in 1946 and rebuilt in 2000 on the site of the old academy, where an altar honours Chu Van An, a famous rector of the Imperial Academy.

A ticketed night tour, sold at 199,000 dong for adults, lights up the courtyards after dark on set evenings.