ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The Van Mieu is built in the shape of a parallelogram, modeled after the Temple to Confucius in Qu Fu, China.
Five courtyards separated by brick walls now make up the interior. In Confucianism, as in Buddhism, the number five has a special place. There are five essential elements, five basic virtues, five commandments, five sorrows, five cardinal relationships, and five classics.
The elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The virtues: humanity, righteousness, civility, knowledge, and loyalty. The commandments: against murder, theft, lust, lying, and drunkenness. The sorrows: life, old age, sickness, death, and separation. The relationships: king and subjects, father and son, husband and wife, brothers, friends. The classics: Odes, Annals, Book of Change, Rites and Ceremonies, Spring and Autumn Annals.
A central pathway divides the complex into symmetrical halves as it leads the visitor through the different courtyards to the temple altar. Each courtyard is connected to the next by three parallel gates, or doors, that bear names symbolic of advancing in wisdom. Couplets, contrasting and complementary in meaning, while parallel in structure and harmonious in sound, are inscribed in Chinese characters on the side columns of the gates.
The balance of contrasting elements within the unity of a larger whole is a theme reflected in much of the temple's design. It is a theme common to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, three deep currents of Vietnamese traditional and modern life.

THE GREAT PORTICO
A walk through the courtyards of the Van Mieu recalls the Confucian scholar's progress in following the path to knowledge.
The journey begins with respect. Before visitors can enter the first gate, they must pass stone inscriptions commanding them to dismount their horses to show respect. Even the king was obliged to dismount, a sign that knowledge was held in higher esteem than royalty or temporal power.
Still outside the temple gate, the visitor passes four pillars bearing inscriptions that proclaim the greatness of Confucius and his doctrine. Each of the two tallest pillars is topped with a mythic beast, the Ly, that has the power to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil. The beasts stand guard to let in the good and keep out the bad.
Entrance to the complex is through the Great Portico, or Gate to the Temple of Literature, a double-roofed two-storey stone structure which may have been built in the later Le dynasty (17th and 18th centuries) to replace the original, perhaps wooden, gateway.
Friezes to the right and left of the gate portray a dragon and a tiger. The dragon is ascending - a flying dragon, symbol of good luck. The tiger, a symbol of strength and power, is descending a mountain, bringing help for humanity.
Over the centuries, the dragon has been the symbol first of royalty, then of the mandarinate. Later the dragon came to symbolize the rank of doctoral degree (tien si), the tiger, the rank of bachelor (cu nhan).
The inscription flanking the right of the entrance reads, "Among the doctrines of the world, ours is the best, and is revered by all culture starved lands". The parallel sentence to the left responds, "Of all the temples devoted to literature, this is the head; the perfume of culture floats throughout the millennia."

FIRST COURTYARD: ENTRANCE TO THE WAY
The Great Portico leads to the first courtyard, called Entrance to the Way. The central path is straight, the symmetry of both halves reflecting the balance and harmony of life lived according to the Confucian Middle Path, or Golden Mean. The way is graced with lotus ponds and sacred trees like the banyan and frangipani. Virtue and talent were the keys to passage from the first to second courtyards, deeper into the doctrine, as implied by the names of the two side gates at the far end of the courtyard:
Thanh Duc (Accomplished Virtue) is situated to the right of the central gate; Dat Tai (or Affained Talent), to the left.
The center gate is called Dai Trung Mon (Great Middle Gate). This is not only a physical descriptor. Dai Trung is also a reference to books written by two of Confucius closest disciples: the Dai Hoc (Great Learning), and the Trung Dung (Golden Mean). Taken together, they extol the greatness of the Middle Way.
Two carp perch atop the simple gate, making obeisance to a flask of nectar from heaven, a flask of the nectar of Confucianism. These carp symbolize students, on their way to becoming mandarins.

SECOND COURTYARD: THE GREAT MIDDLE COURTYARD
At the far end of the second courtyard stands the Khue Van Cac pavilion, built in 1805, shortly after the newly enthroned Nguyen dynasty had moved the royal college to Hue. Khue Van means Constellation of Literature, and the pavilion (Cac) is meant to reflect that brilliance.
The graceful pavilion is rich in the complementary symbolism of yin-yang. It may be taken as the physical expression of the cosmic Great Primary Principle (Thai Cuc) the union of contrasting parts.
There is high and low, wind and water, sky and earth. The brick platform is square, the symbolic shape for earth; sky is present in the wooden superstructure adorned with four circular suns, outlined in wood, that radiate their light to the four directions.
Dragons crown the roof, making obeisance to the moon. In order for the student to pass through the gate to the next level of knowledge, the virtue and talent of the first stage must be joined to excellence in literary expression.
The two smaller gates leading from this courtyard are called, right to left: Suc Van and Bi Van. Suc Van can be translated Crystallization of Letters, and refers to literary expression that is profound and full of feeling. Bi Van, translated Magnificence of Letters refers to ideas that are well and beautifully expressed.
Parallel sentences on the back pillars of the Khue Van pavilion link this courtyard to the next.

THIRD COURTYARD: GARDEN OF THE STELAE
Passing through the Khue Van Cac, the visitor enters the courtyard of the stelae. At the center of which is a square pond called Thien Quang Tinh, (Well of Heavenly Clarity). The well reflects and radiates the brilliance of the Constellation of Literature as it continues the symbolism of the sacred duality: low and high, cool and warm, water and fire, square earth and round sky.
Each of the 82 stelae in the courtyard represents a single examination year, and records the names and native villages of those awarded the Tien si, or doctor laureate degree, that year. The names of 1306 doctor laureates are listed on the stelae.
On each side of the pond, between the double rows of stelae, stands a small shrine where incense is burned to honor the memory of the laureates. The oldest stelae stands in the shrine on the entering visitor's right.

FOURTH COURTYARD: COURTYARD OF THE SAGES
In the Courtyard of the Sages, the visitor reaches the heart of the temple, the altar to Confucius, situated in the Great House of Ceremonies directly opposite the entry gate.
Entrance to the courtyard is through the Dai Thanh Mon, or Gate of the Great Synthesis, which may also be translated the Gate of Great Success. The elements of the Confucian doctrine, the learning of the past, and knowledge of Buddhism and Taoism are brought together here to complete a scholar's knowledge.
The names of the two smaller side doors suggest the beauty and value of the Confucian doctrine as its influence echoes throughout the world. Kim Thanh (Golden Sound), evokes the first pealing of a bell, and Ngoc Chan (Jade Resonance) the last reverberation of the gong.
It was in the Great House of Ceremonies that the king would make his offering to Confucius, and the new doctor laureates would come to kneel and bow to pay their respects.
The building stand on two walls supported by nine pillars, which is crowned by jubilant dragons making obeisance to the moon. The altar occupies the open center. Cranes perched atop tortoises on either side of the altar may be taken as symbols of the union of heaven and earth. The eight wooden standards represent the eight weapons of the scholar mandarins.
Inscribed on the wooden panel over the altar are the words: Teacher of Ten Thousand Generations. To the right are words in the brush strokes of Nguyen Nghiem (father of Vietnam's great 18th century poet Nguyen Du): Like the sun and the moon, through time - past and present.
Behind the Great House of Ceremonies is the Sanctuary, with statues of Confucius flanked by his four closest disciples: Nhan Hoi, Tu Tu, Tang Sam, and Manh Tu (Mencius). In earlier centuries, no one but the caretaker was allowed to enter the Sanctuary, not even the king.
To the right and left of the Great Meeting Hall stand two side buildings, originally used to house altars to the 72 disciples of Confucius, but now used for a shop, museum, and curatorial off ces. Destroyed by shelling in 1947, these buildings were rebuilt affer 1954. Behind the building on the leff were once chambers for the king, a kitchen, and a store-room for ceremonial objects.
The courtyard is still used for live chess games and ceremonial dances during the Tet (lunar new year) holidays.

FIFTH COURTYARD: SCHOOL FOR THE SONS OF THE NATION (QUOC TU GIAM).
During the time the Van Mieu served as a University, the students' classrooms, dormitories, and cooking facilities were located here, along with a print shop for school text books.
When the Nguyen dynasty took the throne in 1802, they moved the capital to Hue, taking also the royal college. The Quoc Tu Giam was transformed into a shrine to Confucius' parents, called the Khai Thanh.
At that time there was also an altar to the earth god and housing for officials and the temple guard. Gardens stretched beyond the shrines.
In 1947, accidental French shelling destroyed the buildings of the Khai Thanh.
At present, this courtyard is rebuilding and going to be completed on 10/10/2000, in celebration 990 years of Ha Noi.
