Yes, there is.
Many people know about the Temple of Literature in Ha Noi, but few are aware that Hue has its own Temple of Literature. Visitors to Hue often miss the Temple, believing they have seen everything at the royal tombs, the Dai Noi Imperial Citadel, and Thien Mu Pagoda. To miss Hue's Temple of Literature in favour of more famous, accessible, and well-preserved sites is a mistake.
Hue is known as the City of Poets. Nothing catches this essence better than a visit to Van Thanh. Tucked into the lush hills and fronted by the eternal Perfume River, the temple complex appears to be inexorably pulled back to its natural state. Nearly 200 years of typhoons, tropical heat, war, and misuse have failed to erase the scholar's search for understanding and the artist's search for beauty. The decay that first strikes the visitor is merely the varnish of wisdom that time has applied to humanity's creative energy.
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| Hue's Temple of Literature |
Van Thanh, is situated on the Huong (Perfume) River, just 500 metres from Thien Mu Pagoda. Emperor Gia Long (1802-1819) must have greatly appreciated the importance of having a Confucian temple in Hue since he built the Temple of Literature in 1805, only three years after he started building the Imperial Citadel of Hue. Successive Nguyen Dynasty kings spent time and money renovating the Temple and building more structures in the compound. The Temple now has over fifty large and small architectural and sculptural remnants located within its two concentric surrounding walls. The inner wall (96x79 metres) has a three-story gate facing south. The main chapel (32x25 meters) dedicated to Confucius is the largest building in the Temple grounds.
In 1947 retreating French troops used the Temple as barracks. Since then structures inside the Temple have been further damaged. Fortunately the stone steles recording the names of successful candidates between King Minh Mang's and King Khai Dinh's reigns have survived; however, some have fallen, and many inscriptions are weathered to illegibility. The steles, carried on the backs of stone tortoises, stand in two lines, each consisting of sixteen steles. Some doctoral laureates whose names are recorded on the steles have played significant roles in Viet Nam's history, including Nguyen Thuong Hien, Ngo Duc Ke, and Huynh Thuc Khang.
Because of its importance, the Centre for the Preservation of Hue's Vestiges has restored and renovated some works in the Temple. The most noteworthy effort has been the restoration of listing and fallen steles and the construction of two shelters for the thirty-two steles. Many things remain to be done to refurbish the Temple. Many other items in the Temple have yet to be restored, and translations of the Chinese-language texts on the steles would assist in making this monument to Viet Nam's culture more accessible to visitors.