INTRODUCE ABOUT THE GREAT PORTICO OF VAN MIEU QUOC TU GIAM

Before entering the Great Portico of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, let us stop by a small plate outside. Though two plate are small in size but it has great in meaning. Both bore the words “ ha ma” and were installed in this place.

The Temple of Literary

1.Introduction

Good afternoon everybody!

The First, allow me please to introduce myself I’m Mai

I extend greetings to all health and wish have a fun trips and rewarding Today I am honored to be with you to visit Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam constant universities -one thousand years ago , is the leading cultural relics and the pride of the people when it comes to capital traditional culture thousands of years of Hanoi

In the heart of Ha Noi , Temple of Literature is located on Van Mieu Street, 2km west of Hoan Kiem Lake

The Temple of Literature is a complex of Temple and the former school for the sons of the Nation The Temple was set up in 1070 AD under the Ly Dynasty dedicated to Confucius and Chu Cong, a member of the Chinese royal family in the

11th century BC who invented the teachings developed by Confucius 500 years later

Quoc Tu Giam (“ School for the Sons of the Nation” ) was set up six years later becoming the first university of Vietnam At first, the university was only open to members of royal families but it later admitted talent students who had passed the provincial examinations or composed a great work

For 700 years, until the Nguyen dynasty moved the capital and the university to Hue, the school fostered some of Vietnam’s greatest statesmen and men of letters, men like Nguyen Trai and Chu Van An, who are honored to this day

2 Architectural design

In 1484 the Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam came to memorialize the most brilliant scholars of the nation, when King Le Thanh Thong erected stelae inscribed with the names of those who attained the rank of doctor laureate in the national examinations Over the centuries, war and social change have altered some features of the Van Mieu Most notably, the first two courtyards and the Khue Van pavilion were added in the early 19th century In 1947, the remaining buildings the fifth courtyard were destroyed by shelling

The Van Mieu in its present form is modeled after the Temple of Confucius,

at Qu Fu, China, with the five courtyards representing the five essential elements

of nature 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

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

Today it is a shrine to brilliant scholars of the past, a place where the occasional student still comes to study and pray for good luck in exams, and a repository of nine centuries of Vietnamese history

For better understanding of the Temple of Literature ,now, invite you to listen to the notes at point presentation

INTRODUCE ABOUT THE GREAT PORTICO OF VAN MIEU- QUOC TU GIAM

“HA MA” PLATE

Before entering the Great Portico of Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam, let us stop by a small plate outside Though two plate are small in size but it has great in meaning Both bore the words “ ha ma” and were installed in this place

First, it tells us that the sacred land starts from here Second, it was a request to every people to express their respect to this sacred land- the heart of Ha Noi-Thang Long of thousands of years

“ Ha ma” – get off the horse Even though how high level mandarin you are, how noble and rich you are, when you are riding a horse by –passing here, you must disembark from the horse

Now, let’s follow me to get inside Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam

FOUR PILLARS

We are standing in front of Four pillars The Four pillars are the main gate of Van Mieu- Quoc Tu Giam

In the past, the Four pillars reflected themselves into lake “Ho Van” which faced Kim Chau mound According to Eastern Asian science of winds and waters, Yin and Yang are dualistic correspondence This concept was incorporated in most religious architectures then in the French colonial time, the Four pillars were separated from the Lake by the tress “Quoc Tu Giam” running across

On top of the Four pillars were “Flanking young lion and dancing phoenix” These are sacred animals that were usually built up ancient common houses or temples reflecting the holy and beauty of the valuable heritage

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 beast stand guard to let

in the good and keep out the bed

The pillars have couplets written conscripts the praise the important role of the temple of Confucius in training the talented people who built up the country Parallel sentences posted in the Four pillars gate highlighting the spirit and fondness of learning among the people:

“High level of education disseminates plenty of moral philosophy

Long time desire built up great National University”

LITERATURE TEMPLE GATE

Passing through the Four Pillar Gate, we enter the exis path connecting the Four Pillar Gate and the Three Door Gate

Three Door Gate - 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 Three Door Gate has 2 storages 8 eaves opening to the

3 doors According to Buddha doctrine, the 3 doors represent for past- represent-feature

Above the Three Door Gate, there were written “Literature Temple Gate” and the shape in relief of “Two dragons flanking the moon” were built up

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 mandarin Later the dragon came to symbolize the rank of doctoral degree, the tiger, and the rank of bachelor

In front of the Three Door gate there were double dragon stone in Le dynasty and double dragon stone in Nguyen dynasty at the back It has been the symbol of tradition “remembering the source while drinking water”

On the left of the Gate there were relief images of “Fish and dragon gathering” and

“fish and dragon looming in the cloud” depicting the happiness of successful students

On the right there were relief images of “big tigers martially going down from mountains” depicting the gradates start their career with strong confident

The inscription flanking the right of the entrance reads “ a mong 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” Parallel sentences on the Gate were in praise of the learning fondness of our people, for instant: “ Wealth and property keep on coming as the running water to the mandarins”

The main door of Gate was only opened for the King and senior mandarins on great ceremonies while the students and ordinary people go through the two small side gates

And then we will go to the Great Middle gate and Khue Van Cac pavilion with tour guide …

Phạm Thị Ngọc Anh

VHDL 20A

53DDL20001

Good afternoon everybody !

My name is Ngoc Anh I am a tourist guide Today I am here to present to you about Dai Trung Mon/ Great Middle Gate and Khue Van pavilion

Practically, we used to call this complex : “ Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam ” but it is said that these are separated complex built at different times The 1st construction

is the place to worship Van Tuyen Vuong or Van Tuyen Cong i.e Confucius And

Ly Thanh Tong has it built in 1070 Ly Thanh Tong was the 3rd King of the Ly dynasty and the father of Ly Nhan Tong the 4th King of Ly dynasty It was Ly Nhan Tong who ordered the 2nd construction – Quoc Tu Giam – built in 1076 Therefore, our people then had an architecture complex to both worship Confucius and to have the 1st university of national culture and science So we have a joined complex and a joined name “ Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam ”

The sacred internal space of Van Mieu was separated with the outside world by a strong brick wall Inside, Van Mieu was divided into 5 different compartments And they were correspondent to the 5 basic elements of metal- wood- water- fire-earth According to traditional Eastern philosophy, universe is formed by the combination of those 5 basic elements

The next, Gate ( Dai Trung) named Initiation Area We are in here There are 2 big lakes here as the 2 dragon eye ponds in front of the pogoda and common house in the rural north Vietnam The main axis leads to the middle door of Dai Trung gate Parallel with the main axis are the 2 small paths leading strait to the 2 doors at the right and the left of Dai Trung Gate named Thanh Duc and Dat Tai respectively This had deep meaning that learning hard will help students to become qualified men of both talent and virtue and being able to translate talent and virtue into good service to the King and the people

Among the 5 compartments of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, this compartments of Initiation has the nicest view and the environment of hundreds years of trees with nice shadow and flowers all year round

KHUE VAN PAVILION

Leaving the Dai Trung Gate, we reach the 3rd couryard of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam that the connect with “ Khue Van Pavilion “” and two small doors of Bi Van and Xuc Van They which means literature must be consiced, polished and clear

As you all know, Khue Van was a pavilion of 8 eaves and one top roof which reflects the Jing point It was built in 1805 dynasty of Gia Long King under the direction of Governor Nguyen Van Thanh of Bac Thanh

Although Khu Van pavilion was not built at the same time with the other items in Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, its architecture is in harmonization with the whole complex and has become an attraction to tourist from inside and outside of the country

We can see 3 words: Khue Van pavilion

The three words Khue Van Cac were put in front of and at the back of the pavilion Around the pavilion, there were parallel sentenses praising the beauty of fondness of learning and literature of the people, e.g

“ The Constellation of Literature in the sky as bright as the humanity in life Bich River of in spring time is as lively as the learning for ever “

- Khue Van Cac was originally built for what purpose ? and the meaning of the logo Khue Van Cac ?

The beautiful and simple Khue Van Cac reflects its charming into “ Thien Quang Tinh ” Khue Van, according to the traditional explanation, means the brightest constellation in the sky that has 28 stars The round window of the Khue Van Cac with light rays spreading around imitates the brilliant sun It means that, here is the gathering venue of the quintessence of the Heaven and Earth

It also highlights here as the great and well- known cultural and educational center

of the country

Nowadays, Khue Van Cac was choosen as symboy of Ha Noi capital

Nguyễn Thị Hồng

Stones plaques

The on the two sides of the well are the two rows of stones 41 plaques each in 4 house

The remained 82 stones plaques are the most valuable object of Van Mieu QuocTu Giam Engraved on the plaques of doctors under the Le Dynasty always included and in bold lettrrs are names of the laureates who graduated to be doctors from these exams and the name of the laureates who graduated to be doctors from these exmas it is here Kowtow ceremony were also made to the laureates whose names were written on the stone plaques of Van MieuQuocTuGiam

Betwwen the plaque houses are two Kowtow Porticos built in 1863 In the past teice a year in spring and autumn in the sanctuary the great Ceremony in kowtow

to Confucius was conducted

In the two stelea houses are the stone plaques of the first exams of the Le Dynasty

in 1442 and 1779

In the 82 slelea was the list of 1307 graduates from pre-court Competition Exam of 82 Doctorates Session in the Le Dynasty from 1442 – 1779 From these exams, these were individials whose name have becom brilliant in the national history

In 1863, Mandarins of Ha Noi Hoang Giap Le HuuThanh and Chief Mandarin of Ha Ninh – Ton That Ham icooperated to build the Stelea Houses and repaired the lake Van Ho However, the appearance of the stelea house Van Mieu – QuocTuGiam the moment was just due to the great renovation made in 1994

Have 82 tone plaques in these two sides are the real precious treasure which not only listed the names and birth of the doctor laureates of the Dynasty for over

300 years But also preserved and reflected the ideology and culturle of the medieval and traditional Vietnam

It included an idea that now every body still respected and admired It was engraved on the stone plaques in the year of Dai Bao examination session in 1442

by Than Nhan Chung as instructed by King Le Thanh Tong: “ virtue and talented people are the national resource”

It is really a invaluable archives, not only on the graduates of pre-court competition examination doctors, their name and birth and their native land to honor them and help them to trained themselves as the gradates and the same time, prize them and encourage the others to follow their examples to becom talented persons However, the stone plaques were only for the 300 laureates of the Le Dynasty while other dynasties did not have this kind of archives It is very special here that all those plaques reflect themselves into the water of Thien QuangTinh the well of Hevenly Clarity

Hevenly Clarity ( Thien QuangTinh)

The beautiful and simple Khue Van Cacreglectsits charming into ThienQuangtinh

The well itsell is a harmonized component of total complex of Van Mieu – QuocTuGiam It is also a water resource to make the climate of whole complex equitable The well has a meaning as a natural great and bright mirror The well of Havenly Clarity has a square shape symbolizing the greenery land The round window of Khue Van Cac with light ray spreading around imitates the brilliant sun It means that is the gathering venue of the quintessence of the Heaven and Earth It also highlights here as the great and well known cultural and educational center of the country

All candidate students and mandarins coming Van mieuQuocTuGiam the central area must and reflect themselves into the well to get the Heavenly Clarity to clean their ideas and to use the clean water from the well as a mirror to reflect their dress and hats and to use the sunshine to purify their mind to get ready before entering the most scared sanctuary of Van MieuQuocTuGiam

PHÙNG THỊ KIM PHƯỢNG

Hello every body I am Phuong Today I am here to present to you about

DAI THANH GATE – THE BAI DUONG (HOUSE FOR CEREMONIES)

After visiting the stelea houses reflecting themselves into the Well of Heavenly Clarity, we reach Dai Thanh Gate entering the 4 fourth courtyard of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam The structure of Dai Thanh is similar to Dai Trung Gate Dai Thanh Gate was built in August, Canh Tuat year 1070, under Ly Thanh Tong Dynasty – the second year of Than Vu and was rebuilt in the Nguyen Dynasty Nov of Mu Ty year – the 2nd year of Dong Khanh – 1888 Different wwith Dai Trung Gate, which has 2 small doors, Bi Van and Xuc Van doors, which are at the two sides, Dai Thanh Gate has two side doors Kim Thanh and Ngoc Tran in the East anh the West respectively leading to inner Courtyard of Dai Bai and Sanctuary Dai Thanh IN the Past, only on the occasion of Great Ceremony in kowtow to Confucius, Dai Thanh Gate was opened The Gate has a frame of three doors, which were made in comparison to an orchestra starting skillfully with Kim Thanh bell rings and ending harmoniously with Ngoc Tran musical stone to praise the noble ideas of Confucius “ Dai Thanh” the name of the Gate was taken from Manh Tu’s comment about Confucius who was very succeful because he knew how to combine knowledge and virtue of great men in the world Next to Dai Thanh Gate, in the Great Kowtow yard, the are two great ancient trees planed by Duke Hoang Giap Xuan Father of Great Poet Nguyen Du when he was Tu nghiep (Deputy Headmaster) of Quoc Tu Giam Later on, his son – Doctor Nguyen Khan brother of the Great Poet Nguyen Du was assigned as Te tu (a post of ceremory) of Quoc Tu Giam Within 500 years, Quoc Tu Giam recorded a list of 93 Te Tu and

Tu Nghiep, among them, many were excellent talented and virtuous figures First

of all, it was great teacher Chu Van An in the Tran Dynasty; next was Nguyen Phi Khanh – Father of Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Trai – a Famous World Cultural Man and

a National Hero, Historian Ngo Si Lien, First Doctoral Candidate Trang Bung) Phung Khc Khoan, Second in Doctoral Exam (Bang Nhan) Le Quy Don, Doctor Phan Le Phien, ect These people also played important part in the renovation, and expansion of Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam to make it more spacious and beautiful The Great Kowtow Hal comprising of 9 compartments, like other items in Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, manifests Yang numbers expressing the advancement, multiplicity and development The usual number for compartments of house, stairs, and roof were 3,5,7 anh 9 Number 3 indicates coming into being, Number 5 for harmonization in life, Number 7 leading among people and Number 9 the extreme Yang space where the great kowtow ceremonies were conducted Therefore, in the

center of the Sanctuary, there was great incense – table with valuable worshipping objects Above the incense table was 4 big letters; Van – The – Su – Bieu praising Confucious as the Teacher For Ever In all compartments of house, there hang talented anh virtuous Confucious, for instance “Talent ranks first so far, virtue known well on earth” Dai Thanh temple was buil parallely with the great kowtow house and these two buildings are connectted with each other by a small house Dai Thanh Temple has 9 compartments and architecture of later Le Dynasty This is the place to worship Confucius for his philosophy on life The statue of Confucius was made in 1972 with the face facing the South According to the traditional concept “A great man shuold turn his face to the South to listen to the people” At the back of the altar, on the throne, the was a writen fraise “ Dai Thanh Chi thanh

Tu Su Khong tu than vi” telling that: On the East side were statues of Nhan Hoi and Tu Tu while in the West side were Tang tu and Manh Tu These four are the most successful students of Confucius The had made great contribution in inheriting, promoting and disseminating the beauty of Confucianism widely in china as well as in other countries that were deeply influent by Chinese culture i.e Japan, Korea and Vietnam Dai Thanh Temple was also a kowtow place in memory of excellent students in majors of linguistics, politics and literature like Man Ton, Nhiem Canh, Nhiem Cung, Te Du, Doan Moc Tu, Nhiem Cau, Trong

Do, Ton Yew, Boc Thuong, Chuyen Ton Su The two houses of in the West and the East which is parallel with the Great Kowtow House (Dai Bai) also have 9 compartments to worship 72 famous student of Confucius

THAI HOC HOUSE

At the back of the Dai Thanh temple here is Thai Hoc Gate that leads to Thai hoc House(the notional university) This is the 5th courtyard of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam Professor, could you please tell us what important activities took place yearly in the Thai hoc house? The completely renovated architecture of the historical vestige of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam is the Thai Hoc House-the National University of the Ly Dynasty The name Thai hoc(university) had been used since the Le Dynasty Here is the venue of learning and boarding of the students Talented people were chosen from the aristocrats and children of the mandarins and the talented ones from the ordinary people Every year literature discussions were hold here were gathering people in Hanoi to listen to literature and writing and then comment who will graduate in the future The Great National Exam will take place right here This is the compartment recovers the very important area of the complex Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam In the past, here was the venue of training and teaching for the talented people of the country This place was next to the Kowtow building in memory of Confucius and his Confucianism The sizes of