The Temple of Literature in Hanoi was built in 1070 and was Vietnam’s first university. Part of the temple (the Khue Van Pavilion and the Well of Heavenly Clarity) is featured on the back of the Vietnamese 100.000 VND bill. Thankfully, I had a crisp 100.000 VND note during my recent visit to the temple.
The temple is in a central area of Hanoi and is usually very crowded. Expect multiple tour groups, a lot of students, and a younger crowd having photoshoots. Tickets are 70.000 VND for adults and free for children under 16.
I would visit here in the morning, then visit the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum across the street after, which has air-conditioned exhibits and a ton of art on display. From here, you’re 10 minutes from Ba Dinh Square and Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. And 10 minutes in another direction to Hanoi Train Street. I’ve covered more things to do in Hanoi here.
Temple of Literature Visitor Info
| Location | Google Maps |
| Hours | 8 AM to 5 PM daily |
| Cost | 70.000 VND // Free for children under 16 |
| How much time | Plan to spend at least 1 hour |
| When to visit* | I’d visit early in the morning |
| Accessibility | Not wheelchair-friendly |
| Other notes | There are bathrooms, vending machines with cold drinks, souvenir shops |
Visiting the Temple of Literature in Hanoi
Getting there: If you’re staying on the west side of Hoan Kiem Lake, you can walk to the Temple of Literature in around 20 minutes. I recently stayed at the Serene Central Hotel (Agoda / Booking), which is in a great location west of Hoan Kiem Lake.
If you don’t want to walk, get the Grab app and book a taxi or moto-taxi. This app will be incredibly useful anywhere you travel in Vietnam. I’ve covered more apps for Vietnam travel here.
You’ll enter the Temple of Literature on the southern end, at Quoc Tu Giam Street here. You’ll walk north to explore the temple grounds. There’s an exit up here when you’re finished, so you don’t have to walk all the way back to the entrance.
The temple grounds are mostly outdoors. There are some small indoor exhibits, but they’re not air-conditioned. The grounds have a lot of tree shade cover, and as I mentioned above, vending machines with drinks for sale. Bring a little bit of cash (small bills like the 10.000 VND and 20.000 VND).
There is a lot of history here, including dozens of stone steles, which name scholars who passed various exams hundreds of years ago.
The Khue Van Pavilion, which is on the back of the 100.000 VND note, was built during the Nguyen dynasty in 1805. The link I just shared is to a company called “Hanoi Free Private Tour Guide.” I met one of their tour guides at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum nearby. They’re all local Vietnamese guides who give free tours to practice their English. Highly recommend reaching out to them.
The temple is in a very central area of the city, and it holds significant cultural importance for locals, so expect it to be busy. A lot of schools will be on class trips. The architecture is historic and well-maintained, so expect a lot of photoshoots happening, especially from the younger crowd.
I filmed this video during a very busy Saturday (I’d avoid visiting on the weekend if you can).
