Built in the 11th Century, Temple of Literature has a Vietnamese gate and a Burmese lake near the gate. The temple used to be the school where the children of the royal family in the Li Dynasty (1009 – 1225) studied. It is composed of five courtyards, including Lingxing Gate, Kuiwen Pavilion, Panchi Pond, and Dacheng Hall. The fiver courtyards stand for the five elements of “Water, Wood, Fire, Gold and Earth” in Chinese culture, as well as the five virtues of “Benevolence, Righteousness, Courtesy, Wisdom and Trust “.
You will find the three Chinese characters of “文庙门” on the gate of the first courtyard. After entering the gate, turn around and you’ll see a couplet in Chinese on either side of the gate. The The Confucius is worshiped in the center of the main hall while other Confucian masters well-known in China and in Vietnam are worshiped on both sides of Confucius.
The Temple of Literature in Hanoi is well-known for the 82 Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in Ancient China and Vietnam) Steles. The list of Jinshi in the dynasties in Vietnam is well-preserved in the temple as well. Each stele tells the time of the imperial examination, the writer of the inscription, the sculptor, and the name of Jinshi.
If you are lucky enough, you may see the local culture shows. During the Spring Festival, some solemn activities as well as cultural and recreational activities such as calligraphy, chess, poetry, cockfighting, and fighting birds are regularly held in the temple.