About this place

1. History

The Temple of Literature, located to the south of Thang Long's Imperial Citadel, was founded in 1070, nearly 1000 years ago, by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong as a temple to worship the Chinese philosopher Confucius.

The Temple of Literature is one of Hanoi's most important monuments.

In 1076, his son founded the Imperial Academy as a royal school for only the elite, such as princes, nobles, and bureaucrats.

The Imperial Academy, Vietnam's first university, was open for about 700 years and educated hundreds of well-known scholars and mandarins. Despite constant wars and disasters, the Temple of Literature has retained its architectural and cultural significance.

2. Architecture

Temple of Literature, which covers an area of over 54000 square meters and is surrounded by an ancient brick wall, consists of five courtyards in various styles. The entire area is divided into several major sections, which are described below.

The First Courtyard – Đại Trung Môn

The Second Courtyard – Khuê Văn Các

The Third Courtyard – Thien Quang Well

The Fourth Courtyard – Đại Thành Môn

The Fifth Courtyard – The Grounds of Imperial Academy