What is special about the place that honors Eastern philosophy?

Mao Dien Temple of Literature and the Provincial Examination School, through images and steles recording the renovations, show that provincial temples of literature were built early in the North.

Mao Dien Temple of Literature is one of the destinations we chose before coming to Hai Duong province. Visiting each space in this special national historical site, we felt the people of Dong land preserve the spirit of honoring the "land of learning".

Cultivate through ups and downs

On both sides of the path from the national highway to the gate of Mao Dien Temple of Literature, people have to walk slowly to read each large-character painting. On one side is "Love of learning - Diligence - Bright will - Fame - Passing exams"; on the other side is "Peace - Success - Prosperity - Passing exams - Wisdom", showing the spirit of "A place to honor Eastern philosophy" being emphasized.

The Huong examination school with a row of tents and beds restored

Hai Duong was one of the "four towns" around Thang Long citadel under the Later Le Dynasty. Because it was located in the Eastern region, under the Tay Son Dynasty it was named the Eastern region, including 4 prefectures: Thuong Hong, Ha Hong, Nam Sach, Kinh Mon; divided into 18 districts, the land spread across Hai Duong province, Hai Phong city, part of Quang Ninh and Hung Yen provinces today.

At the beginning of the Nguyen Dynasty, the name Hai Duong town was reused and then changed to Hai Duong province, including 4 prefectures: Binh Giang, Ninh Giang, Nam Sach, Kinh Mon, also divided into 18 districts.

Hai Duong Temple of Literature was built during the Early Le Dynasty (15th century) in Vinh Lai Commune, Duong An District, Thuong Hong Prefecture (now Vinh Tuy Commune, Binh Giang District). During the Tay Son Dynasty, it was moved to Mao Dien Commune (now Cam Dien Commune, Cam Giang District), merged with the Huong Examination School to form a cultural and educational center of the Eastern region and named Mao Dien Temple of Literature. The ancients also called this place "Civilized Land".

Information about Mao Dien Temple of Literature and the Huong examination school is introduced through many pictures and also on steles recording the renovations, showing that this is a provincial temple of literature built early in the North.

Stone bridge across Thien Quang province

The Temple of Literature currently preserves three ancient steles recording the times of restoration and renovation of the relic. The stele "Tan Dau Trong Thu Coc Nhat Tao" was erected in August of Tan Dau year 1801 (Tay Son dynasty) and recorded: "The King issued a special edict ordering that in the North, all towns and citadels should appoint education inspectors with the task of managing education and enforcing educational rules, so that when there is anything special, the good meaning of religious education will still be the same... Currently, the town's educational rights are not yet complete, so Thuong Hong prefecture was ordered to build a school palace and a place for worship."

From that edict, the mandarins chose Mao Dien commune, in the north of Hai Duong town, an area of ​​rice fields equivalent to 36,000 m2, to be the school. The work began on January 2 and was completed on July 26, Tan Dau. The Temple of Literature became "a place where hundreds of people respectfully performed the ceremony to worship the saints, a place where scholars practiced writing".

The back of the doctoral stele is engraved with Vietnamese characters.

During the Nguyen Dynasty, in October of the year Binh Dan 1806, the Temple of Literature continued to be restored, completed in August of the year Dinh Mao 1807. The stele "Trung tu Van Mieu bi ky" recorded the restoration of the Vu Temple, the Temple Gate, the Dong Vu and Tay Vu houses, the addition of a cauldron (incense burner), and the construction of Khai Thanh Temple in the West. The two corridors to the south of the temple were places to worship the teachers at the holy level. On the left is the Kim Thanh tower (bronze bell tower), on the right is the Ngoc Chan tower (stone gong tower).

Khue Van Cac has a separate floor. In front of Khue Van Cac is a two-story gate with a passage in the middle. In "Restoration of Van Mieu Stele" it is affirmed: "The Temple of Literature has had operating regulations and selected land for the examination school. Through the dynasties, the Temple of Literature has a dignified appearance, a famous place on the eastern fence of the capital". Sixteen years later, Mao Dien Temple of Literature continued to be restored in 1823, under the reign of King Minh Mang.

Mao Dien Temple of Literature is a destination not to be missed when coming to Hai Duong province.

The ancient relics that are still preserved are the stone incense burner and the stone gong from the Tay Son period. The kapok tree planted in 1801 in the front yard of the worshiping hall blooms bright red every March.

The Temple of Literature has been located on Mao Dien land for more than 200 years. During the period 1947 - 1990, the relic was seriously degraded, and it was not until 1991 - 1992 that it was restored, continued to be renovated over many years, and expanded as it is today.

Traditional education of studiousness

The Temple of Literature gate was restored on the old foundation (in 1995), with the main gate, left gate, and right gate in arched style. Passing through the three-door gate is a harmonious and beautiful architectural space.

Two ponds used to irrigate plants since the founding of Mao Dien Temple of Literature were renovated in 2002, named Thien Quang Tinh, in the middle of which a wide stone bridge with a railing carved with patterns was built, creating a clear path from the gate to the front yard of the Worship Hall. Two houses covered with ancient stele inscriptions are on both sides of Thien Quang Tinh.

The bell tower and the gong tower on both sides in front of the Dong Vu and Tay Vu houses were built with lime mortar, bricks and tiles. In 2004, they were restored with ironwood. The broken stone gong was replaced with a large drum, so the gong tower was renamed the drum tower. The ancient bell in the bell tower was replaced with a bronze bell weighing more than 1 ton in 2010.

Great scholars, celebrities, and national heroes of all dynasties are worshiped in the harem.

The worshiping hall and the back palace are the two main buildings of the Temple of Literature, consisting of 7 compartments made of ironwood, decorated with carvings of spiral patterns, dragons, phoenixes and stylized flowers and leaves. In 2002 - 2004, all the columns, beams and frames of the worshiping hall and the back palace were painted and gilded to make them more splendid. The "longevity" characters on the gate and surrounding walls seem to express the wish for the longevity of the Temple of Literature.

In the harem, Confucius and his four most trusted disciples were worshiped.

Since 2002, the worshiping arrangement has changed: worshiping Confucius and 8 great Vietnamese scholars. Of which, 5 bronze statues of famous people: Confucius, Vice-Chancellor of the Imperial Academy Chu Van An, First-ranking Scholar of the Two Countries Mac Dinh Chi, National Hero - World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Trai, and Trinh Quoc Cong Nguyen Binh Khiem are placed in red-lacquered and gilded wooden frames; 4 famous people: Great Physician - Imperial Student Tue Tinh, Vietnamese Math God Vu Huu, Royal Inspector Pham Su Menh, and Nghi Ai Quan Nguyen Thi Due have altars and tablets.

Large character paintings at the entrance to Mao Dien Temple of Literature

This change in worship shows respect for great scholars, pride in the Dong - Hai Duong region as the birthplace and nurturing place of many heroes and famous people in Vietnamese history, and takes that to educate the tradition of studiousness for generations.

How can we not be proud that in nearly 1,000 years of selecting talents, from the first examination of the Ly Dynasty in 1075 to the last examination of the Nguyen Dynasty in 1919, there were 185 royal examinations, selecting 2,898 doctors nationwide, of which Hai Duong has 644 people. In the current geography, Hai Duong province also has 491 doctors of Confucianism. Notably, Nghi Ai Quan Nguyen Thi Due (Mac Dynasty) is the only woman with a doctorate in the history of feudal examinations in Vietnam.

Attractive destination

Historically, Mao Dien Temple of Literature was both the second largest national school in the North after the Temple of Literature and one of the places where the provincial exams were held.

In front, on the right side of the Temple of Literature is the examination hall with a row of tents and beds that have been restored so that people can imagine where the ancient scholars gathered to set up tents and beds to take the regional exams. The regional exams have a very important meaning. First, those who pass the exams will be appointed to a ninth-rank official position; then there are criteria for the doctoral exam, opening up a smooth path to fame and fortune. To take the regional exams, one must have two conditions: a background of being from a good family; and an education level that requires a thorough understanding of the Four Books and Five Classics.

During the Mac Dynasty, Hai Duong examination school was chosen as the place to hold three Hoi examinations in 1529, 1532, and 1535.

The Huong examination school of Hai Duong town existed until 1807. When the Nguyen Dynasty rearranged the examination school system, in 1813, the Huong examination school of Son Nam town was organized for both Hai Duong and Quang Yen provinces.

Without the examination hall, Mao Dien Temple of Literature continued to be a place to nurture the studious spirit of the people of the East, a school to train scholars to continue taking exams, and Hai Duong province continued to have many scholars whose names were on the golden board, named as doctors in the next 100 years of Confucian examinations under the Nguyen Dynasty.

The two rows of stele houses in the East and West of Mao Dien Temple of Literature have 14 steles honoring Confucian doctors from the East - a newly built project, taking 10 years (2006 - 2016) from the beginning to completion.

The first stele talks about the tradition of learning, the history of the Mao Dien Temple of Literature and the Pham Le composing the stele inscription; 13 steles recording the names of doctors through the dynasties, placed on the back of stone turtles, symbolizing stability and sacredness. The stele recording the doctors of each period is decorated with the patterns of that period. The engravings on the main steles are in Han Nom characters; the back is engraved in Quoc Ngu - a translation of the main face. Each doctor is engraved with his full name, year of birth, place of residence, examination, degree, and summary of his career.

For the people of Hai Duong, the doctoral steles not only honor the ancestors who made the Eastern region famous, but also have the meaning of encouraging learning, so that future generations can take pride in it and strive to excel.

According to the Management Board of Cam Giang District Relics, keeping the ancient tradition, every year at Mao Dien Temple of Literature, there are two festivals held in the spring (February of the lunar calendar) and an incense offering ceremony in the fall (August of the lunar calendar) to commemorate the country's famous people and ancestors, honoring the tradition of studiousness. Mao Dien Temple of Literature has become a destination for domestic and foreign tourists in Hai Duong province.

"At Mao Dien Temple of Literature, the large characters on the tablets follow the direction: on one side is "Humanity - Justice - Propriety - Wisdom - Trust" parallel to "Wealth - Nobility - Longevity - Health - Peace" on the opposite side, implying that if one values ​​learning knowledge and morality, one will have a path to glory for oneself and help the country.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/noi-ton-vinh-dao-hoc-xu-dong-co-gi-dac-biet-196250322201322904.htm