Temple of literature (V?n Mi?u) – Ha Noi – Viet Nam

Temple of literature (V?n Mi?u) – Ha Noi – Viet NamThe Temple of Literature is one of the most popular landmarks of Ha Noi . The term “temple” may mislead a lot of people into believing the complex is a religious site. V?n Mi?u, in fact, is a Confucian memorial place dedicated to the centuries of education and literature in Vietnam. Founded in 1070 by King Ly Thánh Tông, the temple was built to pay tribute to the Chinese philosopher Khong Tu (Confucius), his scholars and people with high academic achievement. In 1076, the Qu?c T? Giám (or Imperial Academy) was founded. As Vietnam’s first university, it was initially opened to educate the aristocrats, nobles and royal family members. In the later years, the school was opened to talented commoners. In old Vietnam society, Si (literary bureaucrats and scholars) were given the highest regard. Below them in the social ranking are the Nong (farmers), Cong (craftsmen and workers) and Thuong (merchants). Functioned within 1076 to 1779, V?n Mi?u was the only place where mandarin class was taught. Through its history, over two thousand doctors have graduated from the university. Known as "pagode des Corbeaux" during the French colonization, the whole of V?n Mi?u encompasses a profound traditional meaning of both a Confucian temple and the first imperial university of Vietnam.

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