Visiting shrines from A-Z
Quoc Tu Giam Temple
1. History of Literature Temple - Quoc Tu Giam
Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam is the leading diverse and rich relic complex of Hanoi capital, located in the south of Thang Long Citadel. The architectural complex of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam includes: Van Lake, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam area and Giam garden; in which, the subject architecture is Van Mieu (the place of worshiping Confucius) and Quoc Tu Giam. With more than 700 years of operation, having trained thousands of talents for the country, Quoc Tu Giam is considered as the first university in Vietnam and also a symbol of feudal electoralism. Used to be where the martyrs go to "good luck" before each exam by stroking turtle heads at doctoral steles. However, today, to preserve the monuments, a fence is set up and the martyrs no longer do the ritual of luck as before. This place has been included in the list of 23 special national monuments by the Prime Minister of Vietnam. Khue Van Cac at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam was selected as the symbol of the Capital under the Law of the Capital, 82 doctoral steles at Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam were recognized by UNESCO as a Documentary Heritage and recorded in the list Memories of the global world.
Constructed in August 1070 under the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong, Dai Viet's autobiography (Social Sciences Publishing House, Hanoi, volume 1, T.234) reads: "In the autumn of August, To build the Temple of Literature, build a statue, Confucius, Chu Cong and Tu Tu, draw a statue of the Seven Second Sage, the four seasons of worship. , the ancestor of Confucianism, Van Mieu also held the function of a royal school where the first pupil was Prince Ly Can Duc (ie King Ly Nhan Tong), the son of King Ly Thanh Tong and Nguyen Phi Lan, was 5 years old at that time.
In 1076, King Ly Nhan Tong built Quoc Tu Giam - the first high-class school in our country, behind Van Mieu. When it was first built, the school was only reserved for princes and children of kings, princes, children of elders and nobles (should be called Quoc Tu). Five (1806) opened the second exam to select the high pass to enter the Academy. Mac Hien Tich was honored to be appointed to be the first Academy of Studies.
In the reign of Ly Anh Tong (1138-1175), To Hien Thanh became the main assistant, in 1156, reformed and expanded his studies, Van Mieu only worshiped Confucius alone. In the Tran dynasty, the first scientific grape opened in 1232, the university called the Thai student exam. Quoc Tu Giam was expanded, recruiting both ordinary people to study well (so it was called Quoc Hoc house).
Historian Le Van Huu passed Dinh Mui ophthalmology board (1247), Mac Dinh Chi passed the status quo Giap Dan (1304) under the Tran dynasty. In the Tran Nghe Tong dynasty (1370-1372), the scholar Chu Van An used to work as a Tu Tu Quoc Tu Giam (equivalent to today's Principal), directly teaching the princes under the Tran Minh Tong dynasty (1314-1329). The first South people were worshiped at Van Mieu together with Confucius.
Into the Late Le dynasty, Confucianism was very popular. In 1484, Le Thanh Tong set up steles for those who passed the doctoral exam from 1442 onwards (the policy was set in 1442 but not yet implemented). In each department, a stele is placed on the back of the turtle. By that year, the Le dynasty organized 12 advanced examinations. Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497) held regularly every three years, exactly 12 exams.
In 1762, Le Hien Tong revised it as Quoc Tu Giam - a high-level educational and training institution of the court.
In 1802, King Gia Long determined that this was the Hanoi Temple of Literature. The town of the North of Nguyen Van Thanh built more Khue Van beside the square well. Thus, at the beginning of the Nguyen dynasty, Van Mieu Thang Long was once renovated to remain only Van Mieu of Bac town, later changed to Hanoi Van Mieu. As for Quoc Tu Giam, it was changed to the school of Hoai Duc and then in this area built Khai Thanh temple to worship Confucius's parents.
In early 1947, the French colonialists fired cannonballs to collapse the house, leaving only the foundation with two stone pillars and 4 rock research. Nowadays, the entire Thai Hoc area is built with an area of 1530m² on a total area of 6150m² including the main architectural works of Tien Duong, Hau Duong, Ta Vu, Huu Vu, the bell house, and the drum house are modeled on the architecture. tradition on the ancient ground of Quoc Tu Giam.
2. The address of the Temple of Literature
Address: 58 Quoc Tu Giam, Dong Da, Hanoi. Van Mieu is located in Dong Da district, Hanoi, right in the middle of 4 main streets including Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ton Duc Thang, Van Mieu and Quoc Tu Giam. If you depart from Sword Lake, you should follow Le Thai To street, turn right onto Trang Thi street, go to Cua Nam and Nguyen Khuyen streets, then turn left onto Van Mieu street. Since Hanoi Street has many one-way roads, especially around the Temple of Literature, you should pay attention to avoid breaking traffic laws.
3. Move to the Temple of Literature
To reach the Temple of Literature, visitors can choose one of the following ways:
Travel by bus: In this way, visitors can catch bus lines 32, 41, 23, 38, 02 and get off at the stop closest to Van Mieu and then walk to Temple of Literature.
Choosing a 2-storey bus service: This is a capital tour service that has appeared in recent years. This service not only helps you to visit the Temple of Literature but also takes you to visit all other famous places and monuments of Hanoi very professionally and conveniently.
Use of inner city tours by bicycle: This is a service provided by tour operators to provide a particularly enjoyable experience for tourists visiting Hanoi by bicycle.
Taxi, motorbike taxi: In Hanoi, motorbike taxi and taxi are available, so it is easy for visitors to call a car to Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam to explore
Traveling by private vehicle: If traveling by private vehicle, you can look up the map or ask people to choose the most suitable travel route to avoid one-way roads.
4. Time of visit and fare
• Time
In the summer, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is open on weekdays from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
In winter, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam is open on weekdays from 8:00 am to 17:30 pm.
• Fare
+ 30,000 VND for adults.
+ 15,000 VND for students (with student card or student card)
+ 15,000 VND for people with severe disabilities, the elderly (Vietnamese citizens aged full 60 years or over, with identity card)
+ Free for children under 15 years old
5. Itinerary to visit the Temple of Literature
• Ho Van
Located right in front of the gate of Van Mieu, Van Lake, also known as Giam Lake or Minh Duong Lake, is the first place to visit when visiting Van Mieu. According to historical records, Van Lake is a large lake, up to ten thousand nine hundred meters wide, located in the overall Van Mieu tourist area. In the heart of Van Lake is Kim Chau mound. Phan Thuy Duong was built on the Kim Chau mound. Phan Thuy Duong is the place where literary reviews of the ancient capitals' scholars take place.
Due to being omitted in the administrative boundary demarcation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, present day Ho Van only has an area of about 12,297 m2. However, with great historical and cultural significance, Hanoi City has advocated to build a project to embellish and restore Kim Chau mound, preserve Ho Van and include in the list of monuments belonging to the overall Van relic. Quoc Tu Giam Temple.
• Temple of Literature
Temple of Literature is the outer three-door gate of the relic. Includes 3 doors with doors built with 2 high floors. The upper floor has three characters of the Temple of Literature in ancient Han characters. Located in front of the Temple of Literature are the four central pillars and two Ha Ma steles on either side. It is said that in the past, whether it was a khanh general or a gong, most of the time when passing Van Mieu, he had to lower his hammock, get off the carriage and walk at least from the stele of Ha ma on one side to the stele of Ha Ma on the other side and then go on again. . It is enough to understand how serious and significant the Temple of Literature is.
• The Great Middle Gate
Dai Trung Mon is the second gate of the Temple of Literature that goes straight in through the main gate of the Temple of Literature. Dai Trung Mon consists of 3 compartments built on a high brick base and covered with funny nose tiles in the style of ancient communal houses. Before and after the Great Middle Gate is a large space full of trees, lakes, parallel long stretches creating a sense of solitude, elegance, tranquility of the "cultural capital".
• Khue Van The
Khue Van Cac is a square floor with eight roofs nearly 9 meters high including 4 lower roofs and 4 rooftops. This is the work built by the Doge Nguyen Van Thanh in 1805 under the Nguyen Dynasty. The attic was built on a square ground each with a width of 6.8 meters.
The architecture of Khue Van Cac is very unique in the form of the old floor with the lower floor with 4 square pillars 1 meter in length as the support for the upper floor. These pillars are engraved, sculpted and patterns are very sharp and sophisticated. The upper floor of Khue Van Cac is wooden architecture painted with yellow lipstick with red tile roof overlapping 2 layers above to create a very special 8-roof building. The four sides of the attic wall are circular windows like the sun or a shining star.
Khue Van Cac is the place where Confucian scholars gather to pacify the good literature of the scholars who have won the contest. With its unique architecture and symbolic meaning of Vietnamese literature and education, Khue Van Cac is chosen as the symbol of Hanoi city.
• Thien Quang well, Doctor's beer
Thien Quang well is built in a square shape with the meaning of symbolizing the ground. Was placed right behind Khue Van Cac with round doors representing heaven. These two symbols imply that all the quintessence of heaven and earth are gathered at the cultural and educational center in the middle of the ancient imperial capital of Thang Long.
On the two sides of Thien Giang well are 2 large stone steles called doctoral stele. Each stone is a unique work of art, intricately sculpted and has great spiritual significance. 82 doctoral steles built on the backs of 82 green stone turtles recognize and honor 82 valedictors in the elections of the ancient Vietnamese feudal dynasties.
On each stele, there is not only information about the doctor who passed the election that year, but also full information about the examination department, the dynasty, the philosophy of the education at that time. This is a very special and unique point in the world that makes Doctor Beer the most valuable sightseeing relic in the whole of Quoc Tu Giam Temple of Literature.
• Dai Thanh Mon, the shrine area
Like the Dai Trung Mon gate, Dai Thanh Mon gate also has 3 compartments with a column in the middle and two rows of columns on the front and back porch. Step through the Dai Thanh gate, visitors will come to a vast courtyard paved with Bat Trang bricks leading to the middle area of the Quoc Tu Giam relic, which is the shrine area of Dai Bai Duong.
Dai Bai Duong consists of 9 compartments but only 2 side walls and the front and back sides are empty. This is the place of worship in the ancient spring-autumn rituals. In Dai Bai Duong, there is only the center in the middle where there is a shrine for worshiping, the rest are empty.
The Upper Palace is located right behind and has a similar scale to Dai Bai Duong. Between these two works is a transitional and connected Tieu Dinh square. Thuong Dien consists of 9 compartments in which 4 gables on both sides have fixed barricades, 5 in the middle have closed tables in front of the door. Thuong Dien is a place to worship the ancestors of Confucianism. The central space is dedicated to worshiping the holy fairy Su Confucius and there are 2 altars on each side. The two rooms on the right are worshiping Nhan Tu and Tu Tu, and the two on the left are worshiping Tang Tu and Manh Tu. These are the four quadrants. The first two chambers of worshiping the Ten philosophers included Chu Tu, Quan Ton Tu, Ngan Tu, Te Tu, Huu Tu, Tu Tu, Trang Tu, Doan Moc Tu, Tu Tu, and Mother.
• Temple of Revelation
Khai Thanh Temple is the last work of the ancient Quoc Tu Giam relic. This is a place of worship for Confucius's parents Thuc Luong Ngot and Nhan Thi. This area in the past was a residential area with 150 rooms for students, also known as the Thai study area where talents for many dynasties were forged. However, in 1946 in one cannon bombardment of the French colonialists this area was completely destroyed. After that, Khai Thanh Temple was newly built and preserved to this day.
• Front Street, Behind the Street
Tien Street Hau Duong Street is a project designed and renovated completely new relic in 1999 by the design center.
The 9-room Tien Duong House is a place to display the traditional fondness of learning and respect for the nation's religion in the doi moi period. This is also the place where cultural and artistic seminars bearing national identity often take place.
Hau Duong House is a 2-storey wooden architecture with the first floor consists of 9 rooms, the second floor consists of 5 rooms. The first floor is a place to worship and honor the professional Quoc Tu Giam - Danh Professor Chu Van An and display materials on Thang Long Temple of Literature and Vietnamese Confucian education. The second floor of the Hau Street is a place of worship for celebrities who have contributed to the construction of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam and have made great contributions to the educational cause of Vietnam such as Le Thanh Tong, Ly Nhan Tong, Ly Thai Tong.
6. Note when visiting
+ Guests visiting the relic must buy tickets, present their tickets at the ticket booth.
+ Raising awareness of relic protection, environmental hygiene, relic architecture and landscape; Not lying, sitting, touching artifacts, not writing drawings on statues, stelae, architectural works, not stepping on grass, not picking flowers, breaking branches.
+ Maintain security and order, comply with regulations on fire and explosion prevention and fighting; No smoking on the site of the monument; Do not bring weapons, weapons, poisons, explosives, inflammables, live animals ... to the monument.
+ Appropriate and polite costumes when visiting the relic: Do not wear hats, hats, short dresses, two-wire shirts, shorts ... when visiting the place of worship; Keep quiet in sanctuary.
+ It is strictly forbidden to take advantage of freedom of belief activities to perform superstitious acts, gambling, cheating ...
+ Visitors must be legally responsible for the losses they cause to the monuments in accordance with the law.
+ The monument guard has the right to terminate the tour with visitors who violate the rules.
+ You detect negative phenomena, request to promptly notify the standing standing of relic protection at the phone number: 0243.7471322 / 0243.2115793.
According to the experience of visiting the Temple of Literature, Quoc Tu Giam, time to visit this relic only takes from 1 to 3 hours. Therefore, visitors should have a schedule to visit other points near Van Mieu such as Hanoi Railway Station, Quan Su Pagoda, historical relics of Hoa Lo Prison or Hanoi Tower ...
7. Hotels near Van Mieu
• Royal Hotel
Located in Hanoi, 300 meters from Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, Royal Hotel features views of the city. Among the amenities at this hotel are a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk, room service and free WiFi. There is also a terrace, an on-site snack bar and a shared lounge.
All rooms at the hotel are equipped with air conditioning, cable TV, refrigerator, kettle, shower, hairdryer and work desk. Each room also has a private bathroom with free toiletries.
Guests at the Royal Hotel can enjoy a continental breakfast.
The hotel is located close to popular attractions such as the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, One Pillar Pagoda and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. The nearest airport is Noi Bai International Airport, 21 km away, and Royal Hotel offers an airport shuttle service at a surcharge.
Room price: 300,000 - 800,000 VND / room
Address: 19 Hang Chao, Street, Dong Da, Hanoi
• Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa
Located in the peaceful French Quarter, Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa features an outdoor swimming pool, gym and garden. This hotel is 700 meters from St. Joseph Cathedral, Vietnam Military History Museum, Hanoi Flagpole and Thang Long Citadel. Free WiFi is available at the property.
A 15-minute walk to Hanoi's famous attractions such as Hoan Kiem Lake, Vietnam Fine Arts Museum, Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam and Dong Xuan Market. The nearest airport is Noi Bai International Airport, a 35-minute drive from Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa.
Featuring a colonial style, hotel rooms are equipped with a smart TV, a work desk and a private bathroom with free toiletries. Most rooms have balconies while some overlook iconic monuments of Hanoi.
The restaurant at Aira Boutique Hanoi Hotel & Spa specializes in Vietnamese, Japanese and international cuisine. Guests can enjoy a daily buffet breakfast.
Room price: 600,000 - 1,500,000 VND / room
Address: 38A Tran Phu, Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
Source: Suu tam
Picture: Suu tam
Source: Suu tam
Picture: Suu tam