Temple of Literature, Hanoi

About

Văn Miếu (Vietnamese: Văn Miếu, [vɐn˧ miew˧˥], chữ Hán: 文廟), literally translated as Temple of Literature, is a temple dedicated to Confucius in Hanoi, northern Vietnam. The temple was founded and first built in 1070 at the time of Emperor Lý Thánh Tông, and it hosted the Imperial Academy (Quốc Tử Giám, 國子監), Vietnam's first national university, from 1076 to 1779. In 1803, The academy was moved to the new capital of Nguyen dynasty in Hue.

The Văn Miếu is one of several temples in Vietnam which are dedicated to Confucius, sages, and scholars. The temple is located to the south of the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long. The various pavilions, halls, statues, and stelae of doctors are places where offering ceremonies, study sessions, and the strict exams of the Đại Việt took place. The temple is featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese đồng banknote. Just before the Tết Vietnamese New Year celebration, calligraphists will assemble outside the temple and write wishes in Chữ Hán. The art works are given away as gifts or are used as home decorations for special occasions.