Vinh Long Temple of Literature

Lam Tr Th · CC BY-SA 3.0

The last surviving temple of literature in southern Vietnam, built in 1866 to keep learning alive as the land was being lost.

Vinh Long's temple of literature was born of particular circumstances: with the three western provinces about to fall to the French, local Confucian scholars raised it as a statement that learning and letters remained. A shaded avenue of old sao trees leads to the Dai Thanh hall honouring Confucius, fronted by the two-storey timber Van Xuong pavilion where scholars once gathered to discuss texts. The grounds also hold a stele raised by Phan Thanh Gian and altars to him and to those who took their own lives when the citadel fell. It is the only temple of literature left in the whole of the south.

Visitor information

When is the best time to visit Vinh Long Temple of Literature?

Year-round

How long do you need at Vinh Long Temple of Literature?

1 hour

What are the opening hours of Vinh Long Temple of Literature?

07:00 - 17:00

Did you know

Built in 1866, it is the only surviving temple of literature in southern Vietnam.
The Dai Thanh hall honours Confucius, with the two-storey timber Van Xuong pavilion in front.
The site is bound up with Phan Thanh Gian and the scholars of Vinh Long under French attack.
Old sao trees planted at the founding still shade the grounds.

Travel tips

Come in the morning — the sao-shaded grounds are cool and quiet.
Add An Binh islet, reached by ferry nearby.

Source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=V%C4%83n%20Th%C3%A1nh%20Mi%E1%BA%BFu%20V%C4%A9nh%20Long

Updated: 2026-08-06