Temple of Literature

As a person who has worked with words for almost my entire life, writing six novels, some non-fiction books, and thousands of newspaper articles, I was particularly excited about the Temple of Literature. This site was the first university in Vietnam, a few years older than the universities of Bologna (founded in 1088) and Oxford (around 1096) – which once again proves that our European superiority complex is unfounded.

In the Temple of Literature, only the sons of the royal family, aristocracy, and high-ranking court officials were allowed to study. Thus, it cannot be compared to a modern university.

As soon as we passed through the gate, the atmosphere became calm and relaxed. One strolls through five walled courtyards featuring richly decorated buildings. The place of wisdom was based on the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius, who lived and worked in the 6th to 5th century BC.

A number of famous scholars and teachers emerged from the Temple of Literature. Every Vietnamese child learns in school about the great teacher Chu Van An (1292 to 1370). He gave up a career as a high-ranking mandarin at the imperial court and as the head of the Temple of Literature to teach the children in his hometown.