Jeanette Fox
Google
The Temple of Literature is Vietnam’s first national university, founded in 1070 under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông.
It’s dedicated to Confucius and honors scholars, education, and learning.
Its layout (five courtyards, gates, ceremonial halls, stone stelae) is designed to reflect Confucian values: order, respect, the scholar’s path. A sense of history and scholarship — the feeling that you’re walking through a place that shaped
Vietnam’s educational and intellectual traditions.
Serenity and reflection — many people come not just as tourists but students praying for exam success, locals visiting for respect, photographers. School children were visiting when we were there and praying in a ceremony.
A break from noisy traffic and street bustle — once inside, it tends to be more peaceful, shaded, contemplative.