Temple of Literature
Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám
Home to Vietnam's first university, a five-courtyard temple complex honoring Confucius. Its 82 stone stelae recording palace graduates are a UNESCO Memory of the World, and the Khuê Văn Pavilion is a symbol of Hanoi.
The Temple of Literature was built in 1070 under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông to honor Confucius and other sages. In 1076, the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám) was established here, Vietnam's first national university. It operated here until 1779, when it moved to Huế. The complex runs along a north-south axis through five courtyards: the main gate, the Middle Gate, the Khuê Văn Pavilion (built in 1805 and featured on the 100,000-dong banknote), the Heavenly Well, and two rows of 82 stone stelae carried on stone turtles. The stelae record the jinshi graduates from 1442 to 1779 and were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2011. Next is the Great Success Hall, which honors Confucius and the Four Associates, and finally the Imperial Academy courtyard, dedicated to Chu Văn An and three Lý and Trần-era emperors. Highlights: the round windows and red-wood structure of the Khuê Văn Pavilion, the turtle stelae (do not touch them), the gilded lacquer plaques in the Great Success Hall, and the ancient bell and drum upstairs in the Imperial Academy building. Admission is 70,000 dong (half price for students), and Chinese audio guides can be rented. Route: follow the axis from the main gate to the far end and exit through a side gate, about 1 hour. Graduation season (May to June) and the period around Lunar New Year, with calligraphy stalls and students praying for exam luck, are the most lively times to visit. Getting there: the temple is about 2.5 km from Hoan Kiem Lake, about 50,000 dong by Grab. It pairs well with Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum for a half-day tour. Note: Dress modestly, and keep your voice down inside the halls. The temple is free to enter on the first three days of Lunar New Year, but crowds are huge then.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00 (summer 07:30–17:30)
Nearby sights
- Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
- Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long
- One Pillar Pagoda
- Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- Hanoi Train Street
- Hỏa Lò Prison
- St. Joseph's Cathedral
- Quán Thánh Temple