The Temple of Literature in Hanoi was founded in 1070 under Emperor Lý Thánh Tông as a temple to Confucius. The Imperial Academy, Quốc Tử Giám, was established there in 1076 and ran until 1779. The site covers over 580,000 square feet (54,000 m²), with five courtyards inside a brick wall. The Khuê Văn pavilion was built in 1805.
Stone stelae stand on blue stone turtles. Of the 116 originally made, 82 remain, recording 1,307 graduates. They were inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2011.
The French demolished parts of the temple between 1945 and 1954 to build a hospital. The fifth courtyard was destroyed in 1946 and reconstructed in 2000.
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