Vietnamese are not particularly fond of the Chinese who, for almost a century, had invaded its northern parts. It was a constant struggle between the Vietnamese and the troops sent by Chinese kings to occupy what was, in the latter’s opinion, ‘their’ land.

Yet, the Vietnamese kings adopted Confucius as their ‘guru’ and the Temple of Literature built in Hanoi in 1070 was dedicated to him. Born in 551BC in China, Confucius was a teacher, philosopher, editor and politician. He emphasised morality in personal and governmental activities, justice, sincerity, and correctness of social behaviour. Under the Han dynasty, his teachings received the rulers’ blessings and became a guide for society. Administrators were expected to be well versed in his teachings, which were collectively known as Confucianism. Apart from his golden rule of ‘Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself’, Confucius championed ancestor worship, respect for elders, and strong family ties.

Adjoining the temple was the Quoc Tu Giam, a school for the elite, which was later renamed Quoc Hu Vien or National College under the Tran dynasty. All those who aspired to become State officials or mandarins came here to study after their schooling. Triennial examinations were held in subjects such as ancient Vietnamese and Chinese history, literature, and philosophy, which Confucius believed were essential for those who joined administrative services.

The temple complex is divided into five courtyards surrounded by a high wall. One passes through the Van Mieu (Main Gate) and, through the first two courtyards, to reach the Gac Khue Van, where men of letters used to recite their poems. The Dai Thon Mon (Great Wall Gate) leads to an open courtyard surrounding a pool called Thien Quang Thin (Well of Heavenly Clarity). Here are the 82 stone stelae (originally 117), mounted on stone tortoises.

Something akin to a roll of honour, the stelae are inscribed with the names, works, academic records, and the birthplaces of the 1,306 scholars who succeeded in the 82 examinations held from 1442 to 1779 - an average batch size of just 16 candidates became mandarins and ruled the country in the name of the King. In 1861, while the British were busy consolidating their hold on India, the French occupied Saigon, an important city in southern Vietnam. By 1915, after crushing several freedom movements, the French had a firm grip on the country and decided to stop further examinations, which by then had lost their relevance.

The fourth courtyard houses a statue of Confucius and four of his closest disciples - Yanhui, Zengshen, Zisi and Mencius. The sanctuary also has altars for ten honoured philosophers, while a small museum displays ink wells, pens, books and personal artefacts (such as jackets) that belonged to students who studied at the temple.

The fifth and last courtyard, which once housed the Royal Academy, was destroyed by the French when they bombed Hanoi in 1946, during their attempt to re-occupy Vietnam after surrendering it to the Japanese at the end of World War II. The Royal Academy was rebuilt in 2000 in traditional Vietnamese architectural style. Occupying a pride of place inside is a statue of Chu Van An, who was a rector of the academy. There are displays showing the layout of the temple and the Academy, and one on Confucian education in Vietnam.

Not forgotten are the three Vietnamese kings who contributed the most towards building the temple and the Academy. Preserved for posterity are Lý Thánh Tông (1023-1072), who founded the temple in 1070, Lý Nhân Tông (1066-1127), who founded the Imperial Academy, and Lê Thánh Tông (1442-1497), who ordered the erection of the turtle stone stelaes in 1484.

Two new buildings house a drum that is 2.01 metres wide and 2.65 metres high, and a bronze bell that was cast in 2000, which is about 2 metres high, a metre wide, and weighs 700 kg.

Interestingly, while Confucius was acknowledged as a teacher, a move to bid goodbye to the difficult Chinese characters was made in 1624, thanks to the efforts of Alexander de Rhodes - a Jesuit priest who translated Vietnamese into the Romanised system of writing.

In due course, the Vietnamese language (quoc ngu or “national script”) gradually expanded from its initial Christian writings and became more popular among the general public. Under French colonial rule, Vietnamese written with the Roman alphabet was mandatory for all public documents, and since the middle of the 20th century, virtually all writing is now done in the national script.

Published on August 15, 2013