TEMPLE OF LITERATURE (VAN MIEU)

The Temple of Literature has been restored, and the buildings at the back have been rebuilt using traditional methods. Dedicated to Confucius, it was built in 1070 according to the plans of the literary pagoda in Kien Fou, the old sage's home village. In 1075, under the impetus of Ly Nhan Tông, it became home to the Quôc Tu Giam College for the nation's children, educating the kingdom's future elite. It was renovated by the Nguyên family in the early ^19th century. The French renamed it the Temple of the Crows, as these birds had taken up residence here.

The enclosure (350 m x 70 m) is divided into five courtyards. The central gates and alleys were reserved for the king, the lateral ones for the mandarins. Entrance to the temple is through a main gate, supported by two square columns that also define two side gates on either side. From a Confucian point of view, the use of the side doors symbolized humility and patience, indispensable qualities for any candidate. The first garden opens onto a central alley running between two rectangular ponds. You then pass through the gate of the Great Middle, Dai Trung, to enter the second garden, similar to the first. Two ponds are separated by a central path that leads to the Pleiades pavilion, Khuê Van Cac. Its imposing portal is supported by four marble columns decorated with dragons. It's a veritable little pagoda on stilts, decorated with suns and geometric shapes reminiscent of geomancy, a discipline that was also part of the literary examinations. From one of the floors of this little pagoda, the candidates' works were read aloud at the end of the exams. It was also used as a meeting place for poets. It was restored in 1802.

The third courtyard is the heart of the temple: on either side of a square-shaped pool, the Well of Celestial Light, Thien Quang Tinh, are two rows of 41 steles each (originally there were 117). They are dedicated to laureates who received their doctorates between 1498 and 1787. During these four centuries, almost 1,000 candidates were admitted. In addition to competitions for doctorates of letters, this temple was the scene of 124 extraordinary competitions for titles of nobility or administrative posts. The steles are supported by a turtle, a symbol of patience, humility and longevity. Among the laureates whose steles can be found in the Palace of Literature, some bear famous names: The Vinh, a ^15th-century mathematician, laureate at the age of 23; Nguyên Duy Tai, laureate in 1598, before becoming a great Vietnamese diplomat; or Bat Tu, who, in the ^17th century, introduced the country's first social reforms. Passing through the last gate, you enter the temple enclosure. Built on 40 pillars, it houses the Confucius tablet, framed by cranes and turtles, symbols of longevity. The fifth courtyard houses the college.

On May 19, 2003, State President Trân Duc Luong inaugurated four bronze statues of kings Ly Thanh Tông (^11th century), Ly Nhân Tông (^11th-12th century), Lê Thanh Tông (^15th century) and mandarin Chu Van An (1292-1370), who had contributed to the founding in 1070 and subsequent flourishing of the country's first college (Quôc Tu Giam). The statues were cast by craftsmen from the traditional bronze-working village of Ngu Xa (Hanoi).