The person worshiped in the Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam
Chu Van An (1292 - 1370) was a teacher, poet and antique ideologist of the Tran Dynasty. Born into a winemaking family in Quang Liet village, Thanh Dam district (now Thanh Tri district, Hanoi), Chu Van An soon showed his talent and passion for learning from a young age. The amazing thing about him is not only his high passing in undergraduate programs, but also his spirit of lifelong non-stop learning. Although he reached the peak of his education at that time, he still continuously researched, learned and expanded his knowledge in many different fields such as philosophy, literature, history and astronomy. Chu Van An not only studies to take exams or become an official, but he studies to perfect his personality, to be able to contribute to society and the country.
His spirit of lifelong learning is also demonstrated through his constant updating and absorption of new knowledge from China and neighboring countries, while combining with indigenous culture to build an educational ideological system imbued with national identity. The most valuable thing is that Chu Van An does not keep knowledge for himself but also teaches many generations of students, many of whom will later become talents of the country.
He opened a school to teach in his hometown and was then invited to the capital to work as a Professor of Quoc Tu Giam - the head of the highest educational institution in the State at that time. Chu Van An's spirit of lifelong learning is also associated with the morality and air of a true winemaker. When he saw that the royal court had many slanderers and corruption, he offered "That Tram So" to the king to slash 7 evil names to clean up the royal court. When not accepted, he left the position and went into seclusion in Chi Linh mountain (Hai Duong) to continue his path of studying and teaching. Even when he was old, he still diligently researched and composed, leaving behind many valuable works such as "Tu Tu Nhan Ho", "Tieu An Em Phat", "Tieu An Quoc Thuong Phat", "Giang Dinh tac".
Scholars House of Vietnam
Le Quy Don (1726 - 1784) is one of the most outstanding scholars in Vietnamese history, known as the "lifetime scholar" of the nation. Born into a group of parents in Dien Ha village, Dien Ha district (now Hung Ha district, Thai Binh province), Le Quy Don soon showed his outstanding talent. Mr. Do Huong was promoted at the age of 13, Hoi was appointed at the age of 27 and then took on many important positions in the royal court.
What makes Le Quy Don an outstanding lifelong learning example is his enthusiasm for learning and ability to absorb multi-field knowledge. He is not only fluent in Confucian theory but also has a deep understanding of many other disciplines such as: History, geography, literature, medicine, astronomy, Mathematics and even military. In particular, he has an extraordinary memory, which is likened to a "livestock" when he can remember and accurately cited thousands of pages of ancient books.
Not only learning from books, he also learned from real life, from pilgrimages and from contact with many classes of people. He left behind a huge treasure trove of knowledge through dozens of books with hundreds of volumes, including valuable research works such as: "Dai Viet Thong Su", "Phuong Hoa Hoa Nho", "Kien Than Thu So", "Vong Tu Thuc ngu"... These works not only demonstrate his extensive understanding of the history, culture and society of Vietnam at that time. Le Quy Don is proof of the saying: "Once you get old, you know you are lacking" when he constantly studies and creates until the end of his life.
In addition to famous figures, the history of Vietnamese feudal laws also recognizes lifelong learning examples from the poor. A typical example is Nguyen Hien, the person who passed the Trang nguyen inheritance when he was only 13 years old under the Tran Dynasty. Although coming from a poor family, Nguyen Hien soon showed his talent and passion for learning. Unable to study properly like a noble child, the boy Nguyen Hien studied by borrowing books and listening to lectures from teachers. After passing the exam, he did not stop there but continued to study and research to improve himself and serve the country. His spirit of self-study and lifelong learning is a great source of inspiration for those in difficult circumstances but constantly striving to improve.
