Temple of Literature, Hanoi

The Temple of Literature (, Hán tự: 文廟) is a temple of Confucius in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. The compound also houses the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám, 國子監). Although several Temples of Literature can be found throughout Vietnam, the most prominent and famous is that situated in the city of Hanoi, which also functioned as Vietnam's first university. The temple was first constructed in 1070 under King Lý Nhân Tông and is dedicated to Confucius, sages and scholars.

The Imperial Academy was the first national university of Vietnam. It was constructed in 1076 during the reign of King Lý Nhân Tông for training the talented men, including crown princes, for the nation. For nearly 1000 years, it has preserved its ancient architectural style of many dynasties and precious relics at the sanctuary. The various pavilions, halls, statues and stelae of doctors are places, where many offering ceremonies, study sessions and strict exams of the Dai Viet took place.

The temple was reconstructed during the Trần (1225 – 1400) and subsequent dynasties. Through the years, the temple have been destroyed various times by wars and other disasters, and have gone through several major restoration works in 1920, 1954, and 2000. Today the site is one of the important historical and cultural sites of Hanoi and the country and still used for organizing cultural and...
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