INTRODUTION
Temple of Literature is an old cultural monument of the Vietnamese people. It was built in 1070 in the reign of King Ly Thanh Tong for the worship of Zhou Kung and Confucius - the two founders of Confucianism and the education of princes. Six years later, in 1076, the Ly King ordered the construction of the National College in this area where the princes would come to hear lectures, after that people from ordinary families were also admitted. The National College was thus the highest educational institution in ancient Vietnam.
CHRONOLOGY
Although many dates, including the exact date of the establishment of the Van Mieu, are the subject of controversy, the following chronology can give visitors a sense of important events and changes over time.
1070 - An altar to Confucius and Chu Cong is established in Hanoi. This is the date popularly accepted as the founding of the Van Mieu.
1076 - King Ly Nhan Tong establishes the Quoc Tu Giam, or royal university, first for the royal princes, then for sons of the mandarinate.
1185 - The king sets the lower age limit for admission to the university at 15. There is no upper limit.
1214 - End of later Ly dynasty.
1225 - Beginning of Tran dynasty.
1304 - A sixteen-year old, Nguyen Trung Ngan, passes the examination.
1374 - The king institutes the tradition of offering a cloak to each successful candidate.
1396 - A preliminary examination is held in outlying regions. Those who pass are called bachelors (cu nhan).
1400 - End of Tran dynasty
1407-1427 - Ming invaders destroy temples throughout the occupied lands, sparing the Van Mieu out of devotion to Confucius.
1428 - Beginning of later Le dynasty The king establishes regional schools. The best students from each region are selected to come to the capital to study. ln theory, access to mandarin status is thus opened to every male, based on educational merit.
1483 - Restoration work.
1484 - The first stelae to the doctor laureates are erected for each examination year, beginning from 1442.
1511 - Major restoration work is undertaken. Additions include a kitchen, a storage house for ceremonial objects, and a house for the king to use on his visits.
1538 - Repairs
1662 - Additions
18th century - Eight double-roofed structures are erected to house the stelae.
1762 - Repairs.
1780 - The eight pavilions in the Garden of the Stelae are destroyed, and the stelae scattered. Some historians attribute this to the soldiers of the Tay Son uprising, others to the mandarin lord, Trinh Khai.
1786-1802 - Tay Son dynasty
1788 - End of later Le dynasty
1802 - The Nguyen dynasty ascends the throne and moves the capital to Hue, taking with it the royal university. The buildings of the Quoc Tu Giam are converted to a shrine to the parents of Confucius, called the Khai Thanh. A regional university continues in Hanoi.
19th century (beginning) - The first two courtyards are added to the existing three, and walls are built from bricks unused in the reconstruction of the citadel.
1805 - The Nguyen construct the Khue Van Cac.
18S8 - Beginning of French domination.
1906 - ln November, the French Governor General of Indochina declares the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam a historic site. ThÑ French call the Van Mieu the Crow Pagoda.
1915 - The last regional examination is given in Hanoi.
1919 - The last royal examination is given in Hue.
1947 - French shelling accidentally destroys the temples to Confucius' parents in the Khai Thanh, and the houses of the disciples in the Courtyard of the Sages.
1954 - Independence from France
1 960's - The statues are put in storage, other objects placed in an exhibition hall. During the war years, the stelae are protected from feared U.S. bombing by concrete surrounding walls into which sand is poured, covering the stones.
1975 - Peace, reunification of the country.
1988 - With Innovation, the statues are reopened to public viewing. The Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam Center for Culture and Research is established.
1992 - Restoration of ponds.
1993 - Eight pavilions are built to protect the stelae from further erosion.
2000 - Rebuilding Quoc Tu Giam.
