Why do Vietnamese place such high value on academic exams?

An emphasis on the benefits of learning and on respect for teachers and talent has shaped the Vietnamese educational tradition for thousands of years. Through the centuries, even the poorest Vietnamese mothers dreamed of their children passing the royal examinations or graduating from university.Although many Vietnamese are keen learners, the Vietnamese educational system had... Read More »

How many exams must a candidate pass to attain the title of "Doctoral Laureate?"

Education at the National University prepared students for the royal examinations, the gateway to becoming a mandarin at the court or in the provinces. Those who did not pass the exams became part of the nation's educated class and often returned to their villages as schoolmasters.Both the examinations and the honours conferred evolved over... Read More »

How difficult were the royal exams?

The royal examinations were difficult by design. Only 185 examinations were held between 1076 and 1919, and only 2,906 candidates ever reached the goal of a doctorate. On average, 70,000-80,000 candidates entered the regional competitions, but only around fifteen became doctoral laureates after the final examination in the king's palace.In the beginning, the examination... Read More »

What was a royal exam like?

The following excerpt from Ngo Tat To's novel, The Tent and the Bamboo Bed, describes candidate Van Hac's experiences of a royal exam held in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century:The wind blew again. The thunder rumbled, ầm ầm. Rainwater poured everywhere, seething and swirling. Even though Van Hac had tied his tent... Read More »

How were the three top winners of national exams selected?

The three top winners of national examinations received the special honour of tam khôi (three laureates), which the king himself conferred. These three highest titles bore different names at different times, but for most of Vietnamese history they were called trạng nguyên, bảng nhãn and thám hoa.The selection of the tam khôi varied from... Read More »

How was a new doctoral laureate's homecoming celebrated?

The royal examinations came once every three years. A court official posted a large notice outside the National University in the capital. It read: "The King looks for talent." Since very few candidates passed the exams, success was a great honour and considered the doorway to becoming a mandarin. A successful laureate received a... Read More »

How has the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi survived the odds of history?

Ha Noi's Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built in 1070 by the third Ly Dynasty king, Ly Thanh Tong, to worship Confucius and the Duke of Zhou (Chu Cong), who were regarded at the time as the twin founders of Confucianism. Confucian rituals took place at the Temple all year round. Once or... Read More »