The Nguyen Dynasty (1802–1945) practiced spiritual encouragement of learning, which is considered the most comprehensive in the history of Vietnamese monarchies. To achieve this, the dynasty drew on past experiences established by previous royal dynasties while inventing new methods tailored to its own practices.
The initial step was constructing the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) to honor Confucian sages and ancient scholars whose contributions to education were deeply respected by the Nguyen court. The Hue Temple of Literature was preceded by the Phu Xuan Temple of Literature in Trieu Son Village, though its exact year of construction remains unknown.
In 1692, under Lord Nguyen Phuc Chu (1675–1725), the site underwent renovation. By 1770, Lord Nguyen Phuc Thuan (1754–1777) relocated it to Long Ho Commune. In 1808, Emperor Gia Long (1802–1819) deemed the existing structure too small and selected land in An Ninh Commune to build a new Temple of Literature, which became the national Temple of Literature for the Nguyen Dynasty.
Emperor Gia Long was personally committed to education, issuing an edict stating: "The state requires talent, which must come from imperial examinations. Our former dynasty held examinations in every era. Ever since the Tay Son rebellion broke out, the old rules were abandoned, and the spirit of scholars stagnated. Now that peace is restored and North and South are united as one house, seeking men of virtue is an urgent matter. You students should all study diligently to repay the grace that honors literature."
After a period of preparation, learning and examinations were restored. In the capital of Hue, the court established the Quoc Tu Giam (Imperial Academy) to train high-level talent for the state, while schools were established in prefectures, districts, and cantons to educate local talent.
In 1807, the Nguyen court began organizing the Huong examinations (regional exams) across six examination sites: Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Kinh Bac, Hai Duong, Son Tay, and Son Nam, passing a total of 61 Huong Cong (regional graduates).
As the number of Huong Cong graduates grew, the court opened the Hoi (national) and Dinh (court) examinations in 1822 to encourage talent toward higher academic degrees. That year's Hoi examination passed 8 Tien Si (Doctorates); during the Dinh examination, the Emperor bestowed the Hoang Giap degree on one graduate, while the remaining seven received the Tien Si degree. From then on, the Nguyen Dynasty regularly held Hoi and Dinh examinations, typically every three years.
Alongside regular examinations, the court also held special exams known as Che Khoa, An Khoa, or Nha Si on occasions such as imperial coronations or longevity celebrations. These aimed to encourage and recruit talent nationwide without leaving anyone behind. In 1828, the court revised degree titles: those passing all four rounds of the Huong exam were named Cu Nhan (previously called Huong Cong during the Restored Le and Mac dynasties), while those passing three rounds were named Tu Tai (previously called Sinh Do).
In 1829, the degree of Pho Bang (ranked just below Tien Si) was established, further motivating scholars to compete, achieve official status, and earn higher degrees in state examinations.
Next, the Nguyen court carved stelae bearing the names of Tien Si graduates at the Hue Temple of Literature to honor talent and inspire learning among contemporaries and future generations. This replicated the stelae traditions of the Le and Mac dynasties. The first set, erected in 1831, retroactively carved three stelae for the dynasty's first three Hoi exams: Nham Ngo (2nd year of Minh Menh, 1822), Binh Tuat (7th year of Minh Menh, 1826), and Ky Suu (10th year of Minh Menh, 1829), erecting one stele per exam.
From the Nham Thin examination (13th year of Minh Menh, 1832) onward, stelae were erected in the same year the Tien Si exam was held. During the Tu Duc (1848–1883) and Thanh Thai (1889–1907) eras, two or three Tien Si exams were often combined onto a single stele. In total, 32 stelae were erected: 27 for individual exams, 3 combining two exams, and 2 combining three exams.
These stelae recorded the names, birthplaces, academic titles, and pass levels of 293 Tien Si graduates of the dynasty. Notably, Pho Bang degree holders were omitted from the stelae despite passing the grand examination—a deliberate incentive encouraging scholars to strive for higher degrees.
Another method of honoring scholars was compiling books of successful candidates (Dang Khoa Luc). Beyond recording high-level exam passes, the Nguyen court pioneered compiling records for mid-level graduates ( trung khoa)—something unprecedented in previous dynasties.
This resulted in the Quoc Trieu Huong Khoa Luc (National Record of Regional Examinations) compiled by Cao Xuan Duc. Carved on woodblocks, it detailed the names, birthplaces, and official titles of 5,236 Cu Nhan graduates across 47 examination sessions from 1807 to 1918 under the Nguyen Dynasty.
Finally, high honors were accorded through the "Vinh Quy Bai To" (triumphant return home to pay respects to ancestors). The Nguyen court placed great value on this tradition. While the Tran Dynasty in 1304 allowed only the top three De Nhat Giap graduates (Trang Nguyen, Bang Nhan, Tham Hoa) a three-day parade through Thang Long streets, the Early Le Dynasty in 1442 provided fine horses and escorts to all Tien Si graduates of a class.
Under the Nguyen Dynasty, even mid-level pass holders received significant spiritual encouragement. Starting in 1817, right after the results were posted, Huong Cong graduates were presented by exam officials with a hat adorned with silver flowers on the front and back, a balanced hammock, a blue cloth robe, a chime/pendant, trousers, shoes, and socks.
Imperial banquets, known as Yen Loc Minh, were held as early as Emperor Gia Long's reign. On occasion, such as in 1821 and 1841, the court granted silver allowances instead. By 1850, banquets hosted at the exam grounds became standard practice.
For high-level graduates (dai khoa), the honors were even grander. Court regulations established in 1822 dictated that Tien Si graduates were proclaimed during the Truyen Lo ceremony, with pass lists displayed at Phu Van Lau for three days.
At the banquet, each Tien Si received a hairpin and a silver flower. Higher achievers, such as Bang Nhan and Tham Hoa, received an additional hairpin and a gilded silver flower, along with horses for their triumphant return home. By 1831, all Tien Si graduates from the Hoi exam (except Pho Bang) were granted horses for their return. Each was awarded a flag inscribed with their degree and a crimson-lacquered wooden plaque reading "An tu vinh quy" (Bestowed by imperial grace to return home in glory) to display along their journey. This inspired the public—especially students—encouraging them to dedicate themselves to education and imperial exams to become talented assets for the nation.
*Dr. Nguyen Huu Mui, former Vice Director of the Institute of Han-Nom Studies, former Editor-in-Chief of the Han-Nom Journal (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences), currently Vice Director of the Thang Long Culture Research Institute.