Temple of Literature, Hanoi - The Best Travel Guide

Temple of Literature is one of the top historical attractions in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam. It was built about 1000 years ago to be dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars and is also considered as the first university in Vietnam. The temple represents Vietnamese ancient architecture and traditional fondness for learning.

I. Historical highlights of Temple of literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

The temple was built in 1070 at the time of Emperor Ly Thanh Tong and was reconstructed during the Tran Dynasty (1225–1400) and in the subsequent dynasties. At first, this temple is the place dedicated to Confucius and teaches for the Crown Prince. In 1076, the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám) which is considered Vietnam’s first university was established within the temple to educate Vietnam's bureaucrats, nobles, royalty, and other members of the elite. Then, in 1253, Emperor Tran Thai Tong expanded the Imperial Academy to acquire gifted students around the country.

Read more: Ngoc Son temple, Hanoi, Vietnam - Everything you need to know

From the Le Dynasty, the Emperors had constructed Turtle steles carved the name of those who had succeeded with the loyal exams. This becomes the unique feature of Temple of Literature that you can't see anywhere.

Through years, the temple has been damaged partly by natural disasters and wars, therefore, from the 20th century, the Vietnam Government has restored it. Nowadays, the Temple of Literature becomes the historical relics of Hanoi.

II. Architectural highlights of the temple of literature, Hanoi, Vietnam 

The Temple of Literature has a  total area of over 54.000 m2. It is lying in four streets including Quoc Tu Giam Street in the south, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the north, Ton Duc Thang Street in the east, and Van Mieu Street in the west. Its architecture is a combination of imperial and Confucius style. The outside of the temple is surrounded by brick walls. The inside is divided into five walled courtyards with different architectures which represent five basic elements forming the world: Metal  – Wood – Fire – Water – The earth.

1. The first courtyard - Dai Trung Gate area

This courtyard extends from the main gate of the temple to the Dai Trung Gate (the great middle gate), therefore, it is usually called the Dai Trung Gate area. There are two smaller gates on the right and the left side of Dai Trung Gate including Dai Tai (Attained Talent) and Thanh Duc (Accomplished Virtue), which implies that a successful person should have both talent and virtue. 

One interesting feature of Dai Trung Gate is the carp symbol located at the top of the gate which originates from a meaningful Chinese story: "Many carps swim upstream against the river's strong current in a contest held by God, but only a few are capable of the final leap over the waterfall.  If a carp successfully makes the jump, it can transform into a powerful dragon." This is a metaphor for Vietnamese students who have to overcome much hardship to gain success in education.

2. The second courtyard - Khue Van Pavilion (The Pavilion of Constellation)

Khue Van Pavilion was built in 1805 on four white-washed stone stilts. Its size is not big but it has unique and harmonious architecture. At the top is a red-colored with two circular windows and an elaborate roof. Inside, there is a bronze bell hanging from the ceiling to be rung on auspicious occasions. Today Constellation of Literature Pavilion has become a typical symbol of Hanoi because of its sophisticated design following Hanoi style. The name - Khue Van is given from the brightest star in the sky which is dedicated to the beauty of literature. This is the place that held the poetry competitions in the past.

3. The third courtyard - The distinctive feature of the temple

When you go through the Khue Van Pavilion, you can immediately reach to the Thien Quang Well (Well of Heavenly Clarity). This well is one of the key factors that keep the atmosphere of the temple to be fresh and tranquil. On the right and the left side of Thien Quang Well, there are 82 turtle steles divided into 2 rows. All steles were placed on the back of turtles and carved the name of doctors who passed the imperial examinations. Originally, there are 91 doctorate steles. However, due to wars and natural disasters, there are only 82 left. On March 9, 2010, UNESCO officially recognized 82 turtle steles in a list of world's documentary heritage. Since then, there are more and more international tourists visiting the Temple of Literature because of its historic and cultural values. 

Interestingly, Vietnamese people believe that these Turtle Steles stand for  wisdom, therefore, each year, before the national university entrance exam, a lot of students come here and touch the head of these turtles to get luck and wish to pass the exam. This action has made a lot of damages to the turtle steles so today, it is prohibited.

4. The fourth courtyard - Ceremony area

You can enter the fourth courtyard through Dai Thanh Gate (The gate to great success). In the center is Dai Bai Duong (House of Ceremony). This was a place for Emperors and Fellows to make their offerings to Confucius. New doctors who passed the imperial examination would come to House of Ceremony to kneel and bow to show their respect. 

The next building is the Thuong Dien where worshipped Confucius and his four closest disciples Yanhui, Zengshen, Zisi, and Mencius. Also, there is a small museum displaying inkwells, pens, books and personal artifacts belonging to some of the students that studied at the temple. Originally, each side of the fourth courtyard was to keep altar Confucius and Chu Van An (a master of the Imperial Academy), yet they have now been converted into souvenir shops and drinks stalls.

5. The fifth courtyard - The Imperial Academy

In 1076, Emperor Ly Nhan Tong ordered the construction of an Imperial Academy and it was expanded through dynasties. From the original purpose to teach princes and nobles, it became the first university in Vietnam where a lot of talented students studied. With its long history, the Imperial Academy honors the talents, the national traditions and the culture and education of Vietnam.

Today, it is reconstructed with several buildings that are based on the traditional architecture in harmony with the surrounding sights of the temple. Traditional ceremonies are organised in the front building on special occasions. The rear building is divided into two levels including the ground floor and the upper floor. The ground floor that has a statue of Chu Van An (a prestigious master who had significant contributions on Vietnam education) and shows exhibits of the temple and the academy with a display on Confucian education in Vietnam, the upper floor is the place to worship the three monarchs who contributed most to the foundation of the temple and the academy (Ly Thanh Tong the founder of the temple in 1070, Ly Nhan Tong founded the Imperial Academy, and Le Thanh Tong ordered the erection of the turtle stone stelae of doctor laureates in 1484).

III. Where to visit around Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

1. Fine Arts Museum - The great place for art lovers.

On the opposite side of the Temple of Literature, Fine Art Museum is one of the largest museums in Vietnam with a total area of nearly 5000 m². In the 1930s, this museum was built as a Girl School for Indochina high-ranked officers. Then, in 1966, it officially became the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. When you come to the museum, you can see a lot of Vietnamese artistic essences like paintings, ceramics, and lacquers created by modern post-war artists and many works date back as far as pre-historic and feudalism time. Besides the exhibition galleries, there are areas for children’s creativity, a center for art conservation and a library inside the museum’s campus. The Museum often organizes temporary exhibitions and special activities for school children and families. You can check the information about these events through its official website (Click here to access the website).  Also, the museum offers the tour guides in English and French at the reception desk and you have to pay fees for this service.

• Address: No. 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Dien Ban Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: Every day except for Monday, 08:30-17:00
• Entrance fee: VND 40,000 for adults and VND 20,000 for children.

2. Lenin Park - A place to experience the local daily life

Just about 650 meters from the Temple of Literature, you can reach the Lenin Park. In the past, it was called Chi Lang Garden (Chi Lang is the name of a type of flower), from 2003, its name had changed into Lenin Park. This place is not the historically significant attraction in Hanoi, however, if you want to take a short break after visiting the Temple of Literature and watching the local people, this park might be a great choice. Almost every day, especially in the afternoon you will see the  lively and daily life of young and older people. They come here to drive skateboards, roller skates, bicycles or do exercises or play soccer. Park is freely accessible to everyone.

3. Vietnam Military History Museum -  One of the oldest museum in Hanoi

On the opposite side of the Lenin Park is the Vietnam Military History Museum or Army Museum - houses an extensive collection of different kinds of weapon that was used during the Vietnam wars. Set up in 1956, it is one of the oldest museums in Hanoi. Today, it covers the area of 12.800 m² with the complex of different buildings. There are both indoors and outdoors sections with displays of military-related artifacts. Its exhibition artifacts with the long history from Hung Vuong Era, which is considered as the start of Vietnam as a country, the period of over thousand years of being colonized by Chinese is also elaborately arranged and depicted, as well as the process of struggling against French colony in the 19th and 20th century. 

The highlight of the museum is outdoor exhibition of military aircraft, tanks and other kinds of weapon like a Soviet-built MiG-21 jet fighter, triumphant amid the wreckage of French aircraft downed at Battle of Dien Bien Phu, and the military tank that had plowed through the gates of Sai gon's Presidential Palace, which was the milestone of ending the Vietnam War in 1975. If you are interested in, the history of protecting the country of Vietnamese people or maybe, you want to struggle for peace and put an end to the war in the world, the Vietnam Military History Museum is a great choice for you.

• Address: No. 28A Dien Bien Phu Street, Dien Ban Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 08:00 -16:30 every day except for Monday and Friday
• Entrance fee: International visitors: US$1.8/person

Fee for filming and photo shooting

• Photo shooting: US$1.3/camera
• Filming under 1 hour: US$13/camera
• Filming from 1 to 2 hours: US$17.5/camera
• Filming from 2 to 3 hours: US$21.8/camera

4. The Flag Tower of Hanoi - A significant historical relic of Hanoi

Next to the Vietnam Military History Museum is the Flag Tower which is considered as the symbol of Hanoi. The tower was built in 1812  under the Nguyen Dynasty as an observation post of the Hanoi. Unlike many most of other historical relics in Hanoi, the flag tower was not damaged during the war with French and was continuously used as a military post in the next period of the war. Therefore, this is a rare architecture in Hanoi that could remain completely its original design. 

Hanoi Flag Tower is 41 meters high and three-tier basements,  eight side room and the flagpole. Interestingly, the second tier has 4 doors facing four directions.: Except the North one, the other three sides are inscribed with two characters relevant to its direction: East door – Nghenh Huc (To welcome dawn's sunlight), South door – Huong Minh (Directed to the sunlight), West door – Hoi Quang (To reflect light). There is an eight-side room in the top of the tower with eight windows corresponding to eight directions, which offers enough space for six soldiers standing inside to observe. Thus, in the Vietnam war, this was a significant army base. Today, the red flag with yellow star always flies in the sky of Hanoi as a symbol of glory and pride of independence and freedom of Vietnam.

IV. What to eat around temple of literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

1. A variety of street food around the Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tasting street food is always an indispensable activity of tourists visiting Hanoi. Around the Temple of Literature, there are some dishes that you should put  on your must-try list.

 a. Vietnamese Sizzling Crepes (Banh Xeo) 

• Location: No. 29 Ton Duc Thang Street, Quoc Tu Giam Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam (about 800 meters from the temple)
• Open hours: 16:00 - 22:00
• Price: VND 20,000 - VND 40,000 
• Tel: (+84) 243 732 3409

b. Rolled Rice Pancake (Banh Cuon)

• Location: No. 16 Nguyen Nhu Do Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi (400 meters from the temple)
• Open hours: 07:00 - 22:00
• Price: VND 20,000 - VND 30,000

c. Rice noodle soup (Pho)

• Location: No. 39 Ton Duc Thang Street, Quoc Tu Giam Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam (about 700 meters from the temple)
• Open hours: 06:00 - 23:00
• Price: VND 30,000 - VND 110,000 

About food in Hanoi: Click here

2. Good restaurants near Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

Located in the central part of Hanoi, the area around Temple of Literature has various restaurants with different styles and a wide range of prices. We will recommend some restaurants having good feedbacks from tourists.

a. Toko Restaurant - World-class restaurant with a meaningful social mission

• Highlight: diversity of food styles from Western to Asian dishes, professional and friendly staff, modern environment, social responsibility (besides business activities, Toko also holds holistic hospitality training program for disadvantaged and at-risk youth in Vietnam).
• Location: No. 59 Van Mieu Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 6:30 - 22:00
• Price: VND 60,000 -  VND 132,000
• Tel: (+84) 243 747 0337

b. Le Hanoi Gourmet - Vietnamese special food and fusion ones in a clean and English speaking environment

• Highlight: good reviews from tourists, specialization in serving  Vietnamese dishes, having a special menu for vegetarians and dieticians.
• Location: No. 51 Quoc Tu Giam Street, Quoc Tu Giam Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 10:30 - 15:00 and 17:00 - 20:00
• Price: VND 90,000 - VND 300,000 
• Tel: (+84) 243 715 3004

c. Salmonid Restaurant - an elegant environment near the Temple of Literature

• Highlight: good reviews from tourists, cozy European family-owned restaurant, live music on Sunday.
• Location: No. 32C Cao Ba Quat Street, Dien Bien Ward, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 10:00 - 22:30
• Price: VND 200.000đ - 650.000đ
• Tel: (+84) 243 200 0628

3. Unique cafe around Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

a. Hien Tra Truong Xuan - A traditional teahouse in Hanoi

• Highlight: ancient architecture, holding the cultural value of Vietnamese Tea, elegant and quiet atmosphere, a place for tea lovers and those interested in Vietnamese tea.
• Location: No. 13 Ngo Tat To Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 07:30 - 22:00
• Price: VND 25,000 - VND 55,000 
• Tel: (+84) 913 518 973

b. Ca Chep - The combination of cafe and bookstore

• Highlight: impressive architecture, modern environment, a variety of books.
• Location: No. 115 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 08:30 - 22:00
• Price: VND 20,000 - VND 100,000
• Tel: (+84) 862 906 951

c. Cong Cafe - A place capturing the memories of the old Hanoi 

• Highlight: architecture inspired from Hanoi 30 years ago, quiet atmosphere, special taste of the coffee.
• Location: No. 61 Van Mieu Street, Van Mieu Ward,  Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 07:30 - 22:30
• Price: VND 20,000 - VND 50,000 
• Tel: (+84) 911 811 166

V. What to buy as gifts when traveling to temple of literature, Vietnam

1. Handicrafts - Vietnamese handmade products near Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam

• When it comes to souvenir, handicrafts are  usually the first choice of many tourists because of its unique and portable features. In Hanoi, there are a lot of traditional villages and each of them specializes in a kind of handicraft. Depending on your demand and person you want to give, you can choose the suitable handmade products. 
• Vietnamese Silk: in Hanoi, there is a famous silk village named Van Phuc with a thousand years of history. Their product is really diversity from raw fabrics to ready-to-use stuff like scarves, dresses, ties, cosmetic bags. The ties make   great gifts for the males while the scarves, cosmetic bags are something the females will love.
• Conical hat: the Vietnamese traditional hat which is not only the kind of hat to protect the wearer but also dedicated to the beauty of women. Therefore, the conical hat is a wonderful gift for your mother and wife. You can buy the mini size of the hat to be easy to carry.
• Bamboo souvenir: products made from bamboo - a plant that  is popular in Vietnam. There are many types: instruments, bamboo animals, puppets,... with many shapes and colors so it is suitable for your friends as a decoration and children as a toy.

You can buy handicrafts almost souvenir shops in Hanoi. Here are someplace that is near the Temple of Literature:

Souvenir stalls inside the Temple of Literature

• Location: in the left and right side of the fourth courtyard
• Open hours: in summer 07:30 - 17:30 and in winter 08:00 - 17:00
• Price: from VND 20,000

Craft Link

• Highlight: a variety of products, friendly staff, reasonable price.
• Location: No. 43-51 Van Mieu Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 08:00 - 22:00
• Price: from VND 20,000 
• Tel: (+84) 243 733 6101

 

2. Paintings about Hanoi

The paintings from Vietnamese artists which describe the beauty of Hanoi, the daily activities of local people,... would be a great idea for a gift, especially if the person who receives is interested in art. Moreover, Nguyen Thai Hoc street beside the Temple of Literature is well-known for canvas. Following is some art gallery, we recommend for you.

Bui Mai Hien Gallery

• Location: No. 99 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 08:00 - 19:00
• Tel: (+84) 913 525 129

Nguyen Art Gallery

• Location: No. 31A Van Mieu Street, Van Mieu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Open hours: 09:00 - 19:00
• Tel: (+84) 2437 476 001

Read more: Things to buy in Hanoi - 2020 Travel Guide

We hope that from this article, you can know more about the Temple of Literature and will prepare better for your trip.