Temple of Literature – School for the Son of the Nation
Ladies and gentlemen! My name is Nguyen Thi Huyen. Today, on behalf of Group
6, I would like to introduce the Temple of Literature – School for the Son of the
Nation. This is the place where every exam season, thousands of students from all
over the country will come to pray for good luck, with the desire to complete their exams well.
Temple of Literature is located right in the center of Hanoi, surrounded by four
main streets of Dong Da district: Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ton Duc Thang Street,
Van Mieu Street, and Quoc Tu Giam Street. The main gate of the Temple of
Literature is located at 58, Temple of Literature Street. Located in the south of
Thang Long Citadel, the Temple of Literature complex is a gathering place of the
unique architecture of the Temple of Literature. The district is divided into 5 zones.
The main side of the precinct faces south, as it was believed that the 'saint faces
south to rule the world’, meaning that the emperor must face south to govern the country.
Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam is an architectural complex consisting of two relics: the
Temple of Literature and Quoc Tu Giam.
The Temple of Literature (Temple of Literature) was built in 1070 during the reign
of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong to worship Confucius, Chu Cong, four consorts: Nhan
Tu, Tang Tu, Tu Tu, Mencius, and other Confucians. Later, in 1370, when Quoc
Tu Giam Tu Giam Chu Van An passed away, King Tran Nghe Tong had him
worshiped at the Temple of Literature, next to Confucius.
Quoc Tu Giam was founded by King Ly Nhan Tong in 1076 as a place reserved
only for the emperor's children and royal families. In 1253, Quoc Tu Giam was
expanded and amitted talented students who had passed the provincial
examinations or composed a great work.
The Temple of Literature complex bears the bold architecture of the early Nguyen
Dynasty, located on a large rectangular plot of land with an area of 55207 square
meters The Temple of Literature is divided into two areas: the external temple area
and the internal temple area. The external temple area includes Literature Lake and
Giam Park. The first thing to mention in this inner temple is Literature Lake.
Formerly known as Thai Lak, has an area of more than 12,000 square meters, in
the middle of the lake there is Kim Chau mound, on the mound is built Phan Thuy
Duong, where literary and poetic reviews of the ancient capital's Confucian
scholars took place. Phan Thuy Duong no longer only has two steles that talk about
the beauty and the process of returning the lake to the temple of Literature.
The next part of the interior area is the Giam Park area located to the west of the
monument. This place also fell into the same situation of being separated from
Literature Lake. For a long time, part of Giam Park was used as a market. It was
not until 2002 that Giam Park was officially handed over to the Temple of
Literature. Currently, Giam Park has become an indispensable part of the relic
complex with many green trees, octagonal houses, and fresh, airy space.
In front of the Great Portico, there are four high pillars. It is called the four pillars
of Nghi Mon. The Four Pillars were built with bricks, the two middle pillars were
built higher with the image of two goats flanking them. According to ancient
spiritual concepts, the calf is a spirit animal that does not harm anyone, it can
recognize evil people or good people. The two outer pillars are embossed with four
phoenix birds with wings spread out and tails clasped together. The phoenix is a
spiritual animal that represents the upper layer with the meaning: the head carries
the truth, the eyes are the sun, the back carries the sky, the dragon is the grass, the
wings are the wind, the tail is the stars, and the feet are the earth. Therefore, it
symbolizes the whole universe as the carrier of the sky. On either side of the pillars
are two stelae commanding horsemen to dismount. “Commanding horsemen to
dismount” means that no matter how high your position or position, when you ride
a horse here, you must dismount.
Lady and gentlemen, My name is Lê Thị Hà, your tour guide today. I will
accompany you on a tour of the first courtyard of the Temple of Literature. Now
you are standing in front of the Great Portico, the main gate of the Temple of Literature.
Great Portico is a two-story, eight-roofed structure with three doors, representing
the Buddhist view of the three worlds of past, present, and future. On the second
floor is the bell tower. The gate is inscribed with the three characters "Văn Miếu
Môn", and the top is decorated with the image of "lưỡng long chầu nguyệt" (two
dragons facing the moon). The dragon is a special symbol in Vietnamese culture,
representing prosperity and the power of the emperor. A special feature of "lưỡng
long chầu nguyệt" is that the pearl does not completely touch the dragon’s mouth
and the dragons don’t hold it. The pearl symbolizes humanity, knowledge, and
nobility. This shows that the Vietnamese have always considered knowledge to be
infinite, and good qualities must be learned and cultivated. In addition, the circular
shape with flames is also known as a symbol of thunder and lightning. Dragons are
associated with clouds and rain, bringing about a bountiful harvest. Therefore, the
two dragons facing the moon also symbolize the Vietnamese's belief in praying for rain.
Great Portico has two tiger relieves. In Confucianism, the tiger relieves contains
the secret to immortality. The tiger relief is also a representation of the universe, a
sacred symbol that wards off evil spirits and protects the owner. The Great Portico
is embossed with Chinese couplets with the meaning of learning in the human
world. It means that to preserve national identity, educated people must know
reality and must act according to the circumstances.
In front of the main gate is a pair of Lê dynasty stone dragons, and inside is a pair
of Nguyễn dynasty stone dragons. They are symbolic of the beautiful tradition of
"remembering one's roots" of our nation: Scholars who have studied and become
successful must return to show their respect and gratitude to their teachers.
On the left and right of you are the Tả Môn gate and Hữu Môn gate. Before, the
main gate was only opened for the King. Confucians and civilians must go through these two gates.
Lady and gentlemen, you are standing in the first courtyard of the Temple of Literature.
The central path is straight, the symmetry of both halves reflecting the balance and
harmony of life according to the Confucian Middle Path. The way is graced by
lotus ponds and sacred trees like the banyan and frangipani.
Now, we are standing in front of the Great Middle Gate.
The Great Middle Gate is inspired by the book "Trung Dung”. On both sides of
the Great Middle Gate, there are two small gates, the left is the Attained Talent and
the right is the Accomplished Virtue. They represent the meaning of education and
training Confucians who are both virtuous and talented.
All of a sudden, you may notice that there is a symbol of a fish on top of the gate.
Legend has it that God holds an annual competition for the fish, and the one, that is
able to leap over the strongest waves to jump to the other side of the waterfall, will
be transformed into a powerful dragon. That fish represents a student. Only by
studying hard and nonstop trying can be knowledgeable and brilliant enough to
pass all the exams and become a government official.
Good morning everyone, I’m Trần Thị Phương Nhu, your tour guide to visit the
next part of the Temple of Literature. Through the Great Middle Gate, now we are
in the second courtyard of the Temple of Literature, which is continued by Khue
Van Pavilion and The Magnificence of Letters Gate (Bi Van Gate) and
Crystallization of Letters Gate (Suc Van Gate) on both sides. The gates’ names
mean to praise the beauty and value of literature. The magnificence of Letters
Gate’s name has the meaning of embellishing beauty, meaning that literature is
elaborated brightly, and has the power to inspire and persuade people.
Crystallization of Letters Gate (Suc Van Gate) means rich concise literature,
capable of nurturing the beauty of the soul.
Please follow this paved road, in front of you now is Khue Van Pavilion also
known as a symbol of Vietnamese culture and literature.
Khue Van Pavilion is a unique architectural work. It is a square building with eight
roofs built in 1805 during the reign of King Gia Long of the Nguyen Dynasty. The
attic is built on a high square foundation, tiled with Bat Trang tiles, with a unique
architectural design. The lower floor is just four brick pillars, all four sides are
empty. The upper floor is built of gilded lacquered wood and the decorative part of
the roof corner or on the edge of the roof is made of terracotta or lime sand. The
four sides of the wooden floor have intricately carved borders, the four corners of
the floor are made of wooden railings, the four sides of the walls are covered with
wooden boards, and each side is made of a round door with wooden bars radiating
out to all four sides. The round windows in square wooden frames represent the
ancient concept of the round sky - square earth, yin and yang, and the wooden slats
radiating out in four directions symbolize the rays of the star Khue. Let me explain,
the name Khue Van according to the explanation of celestial bodies, Khue is the
name of a star in the constellation of 28 stars, the head of the Western White Tiger
with 16 stars arranged crookedly like the word “Van” (Literature). That's why
Khue Star is considered the master star of literature.
On the Pavilion, there is a sign painted with gold cards with 3 words "Khue Van
Cac" around. There are couplets on all four sides. It can be said that the main
architecture of the Temple of Literature is in the style of yellow and red lacquer
paint. According to the yin and yang theory, the red onion has a negative element,
which is water. Red symbolizes supreme power and sustained triumph – that is the power of knowledge.
On Khue Van Cac can be seen the image of tied silk strips, book boxes, pens, ink
studies... are typical images of the road to successful education.
Lady and gentleman, my name is Hai Ha, your next tour guide, we invite you to
continue our tour. Just past the second area, we are now in the third area of Hanoi's
Temple of Literature, also known as the beer garden or stele communal house. In
the middle of this area, we can see a square lake called Thien Quang Well (Thien
Quang Tinh) also known as Van Tri (Van Pond), Thien Quang - light from heaven,
the name given to the lake. The name given to this lake is as if it wanted to receive
all the essence of the universe, the essence of heaven and earth, and then, like a
reflective mirror, reflect those essences onto humans, allowing humans to receive
them. the essence of the universe, illuminating knowledge, enhancing qualities, and beautifying humanity.
Ancient people also believed that a square well symbolizes the earth and a round
door at Khue Van symbolizes heaven. The essence of heaven and earth is
concentrated in this majestic cultural and educational center.
Around the outside edge of the well's railing are planted with many types of
flowers. Perhaps that's why the left and right sides of the well's railing are open and
have stepped down to wash and get water to water the flowers. However, the
solemn atmosphere here attracts visitors. No one dared to go down to the well to
wash, as everyone was worried about desecrating and losing the sacredness of a
place of thousands of years of civilization.
On the right and left sides of Thien Quang Well are two rows of large stone stele
houses called stele gardens, the most valuable and meaningful heritage of the
Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam. The steles are all built on the backs of stone
turtles. There are 82 steles in total, 41 steles on each side are placed in 2 horizontal
rows, and all stele faces are facing the well.
The earliest stele was erected in 1484, engraved with the names of doctors who
passed the Nham Tuat faculty, Dai Bao's 3rd year (1442), and Canh Hung in his
40th year (1779). From the Nham Tuat department, Dai Bao's 3rd year, to the last
department, Dinh Mui, Chieu Thong's first year (1787), there must be 124 poetry
departments, if only counting the PhD exam departments, not Including the Dong
Cac and Che Khoa faculties, there must be 117 faculties, and according to the Le
Dynasty's custom, there must be 117 steles with the name of Doctor. However,
after many storms of war, the current number of steles is only 82. To preserve
these valuable stone steles from the erosion of rain and sun, damaging the
inscriptions on the steles, 8 stele protection houses were rebuilt in 1991.
Each Doctor's stele is a unique work of art. The forehead, border, and base all have
sophisticated sculptures, vividly reflecting the daily life of the people; images of
civil and martial mandarins; decorative themes "two dragons flanking the moon"...
The material used to build the stele is carefully selected green stone. The shaping
and engraving of the stele are also very elaborate, requiring a lot of time, effort,
and crafting skills. Of the remaining 82 steels, the smallest one is nearly 1.4m high
and is the first stele, the largest stele is the Canh Hung stele with a height of 2.14m.
Between the two rows of steles, there are two small steles with essays about the renovations.
On March 9, 2010, UNESCO, a prestigious organization in Education, Science,
and Culture of the United Nations, recognized 82 stone steles at the Temple of
Literature - Quoc Tu Giam as a World Documentary Heritage. That once again
affirms the special position of Vietnamese heritage in the treasure trove of human cultural heritage.
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Phạm Thu Hà, your next tour guide, we
continue our tour. Just past the third area, we are now in the fourth courtyard (the Gate to Great Success).
The Gate of Great Success opens for the area of the main architecture, where to
worship Confucius, Manh Tu, and Chu Van An,... This is also the teaching place of
the old-school supervisors. The middle space above hangs a horizontal panel with
three words "Dai Thanh Mon". Dai Thanh is taken from Mencius's saying when
evaluating Confucius. He said: " Khổng tử là Tập Đại thành ", meaning: Confucius
is a successful person who has gathered all the education and virtues of the saints and sages
On both sides of The Gate of Great Success, there are two small gates, Kim Thanh
and Ngoc Chan. Kim Thanh is the sound of the bronze bell and Ngoc Chan is the sound of the jade gong
Through Dai Thanh gate, will reach a large yard paved with Bat Trang tiles. On
both sides are two rows of houses, Tả Vu and Hữu Vu. Right in front is the large,
wide, and solemn, spreading throughout the wide mat connecting the gables of the
Tả - Hữu Vu, forming a very ancient and traditional U-shape
In the center is the Bai Duong ( House for ceremonies) where ceremonies take
place during festival time. The building, standing on two walls supported by nine
pillars, is crowned by jubilant dragons making obeisance to the moon. the altar
occupied the open center. Above the incense table is the horizontal
with the sentences “Van the su bieu”, – “the great teacher of the world”.
King Khang Hy of China gave these titles to Confucius when he visited the
Confucius Temple in Khuc Phu village. On the right, there is another lacquered
board of the Deputy headmaster of Imperial College Nguyn Nghiem in 1768 “Co
kim nhat nguyet”, which means knowledge like the sun and moon shining from now on.
On two sides of the incense table, the image of
symbolizes the harmony of the Sky and the Earth. According to some
legends, the turtle and the flamingo were close friends. The turtle lived in the water
while the flamingo flew in the sky. When their place of living was flooded, the
turtle helped the flamingo move to a dry place. Conversely, when the droughts
happened, the turtle was brought into the water by the flamingo. This legend told
the lessons of fidelity and mutual support between good friends during hardship.
The two rows of Dong Vu and Tay Vu used to be the place to worship Seventeen
Sages, 72 excellent students of Confucius. The old architecture was destroyed in
1946, the current architecture was rebuilt in 1954. Currently, these two rows of
houses serve as workplaces and serve tourists.
Behind the House of Ceremonies is the .
also consists of 9 compartments, built with walls on 3 sides, in front,
there are 5 compartments with closed doors, and 4 gable compartments have fixed
screen doors. In the middle is a statue of Confucius with his face facing south, according to the concept: , meaning the saint turns to
the south to rule. Behind is the shrine with a throne and tablet inscribed on it: " Đại
thành chí thánh tiên sư Khổng Tử thần vị ", on both sides are Phuc Thanh Nhan
Hoi, Tong Thanh Tang Tu, Thuat Thanh Tu Tu, and Demi-Saint Mencius.
Also in this great citadel, on both sides of the gable, there are 10 stone tablets also
known as Thap Triet (Ten Triet's best students)
Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Hoa, your next tour guide. Now we’re standing
in front of the fifth courtyard- the Thai Hoc building and also the final space.
The Thai Hoc building is located at the back of the Temple of Literature. To go
from Dai Thanh Mon, you can follow two paved roads on the Ta Vu and Huu Vu
sides, or go from behind Thuong Dien through the Tam Quan gate.
In the past, Thai Hoc building was originally Quoc Tu Giam, a place to train
talents for many dynasties. According to literature, the ancient had 150 rooms for
students, also known as dormitories.
Previously, this was the place to worship Confucius's parents, Thuc Luong Ngoc and Nhan Thi
Today it is a completely new architecture. The entire roof of the temple
is lined with two layers of tiles. The columns between the house and the base of the
stone are placed with a 1.5mm thick lead sheet to prevent moisture from the
bottom up. The yard floor is tiled with dimensions of 30x30x4cm. The surrounding
area is lined with green stone. The scale of the new Thai Hoc area is currently very
imposing, solemn, and in harmony with the general architecture of the Temple of
Literature. There are currently many small antiques being kept here. The ground floor
has a statue of Chu Văn An, a great teacher and the first rector of the Imperia
Academy, who devoted all his life to Vietnamese education. There are also
pictures and artifacts about Confucian education in Vietnam at that time.
The upper floor was where people worshiped the three kings who contributed most
to the foundation of the temple and the academy: (from left to right) Lý Thánh
Tông, who founded the temple in 1070, Lý Nhân Tông, who founded the Imperial
Academy, and Lê Thánh Tông, who ordered the erection of the stone turtles and Stelae of Doctor in 1484.
Ladies and gentlemen, we just finished visiting the fifth courtyard and also The
Temple of Literature – introduce the Temple of Literature – School for the Sons of
the Nation. Thanks for your listening. Hope you have a nice day. Goodbye and see you again on the next journey.