The doctoral laureate’s stalea under the Le and Mac dynasties in Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam are extremely precious cultural assets to the Vietnamese people.  They are symbols of the traditions that respect the talents of our ancestors. These 82 stone steles were inscribed on the Asia-Pacific Memory of the World Register in 2010 and the International Memory of the World Register in 2011. They honor the culture and historical value of the Vietnamese nation in general and Hanoi capital in particular. The preservation and promotion of the value of this Documentary Heritage is always an urgent and an important task.

Since feudal times, our ancestors had the sense to preserve and protect the doctoral laureate’s stalea. Le Dynasty commissioned the doctoral laureate’s stalea to be created in 1484. King Le Thanh Tong commissioned the construction of two rows of houses to protect the stone stalea on the East and West.

Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the construction of houses protecting the stone stalea were completed. In 1863, the protection of the stone stalea in the East and West sides was constructed. 

During the French colonial period, Van Mieu of Hanoi was turned into military barracks. The protective houses covering stone stalea were no longer available. With persistence, officers of Hanoi and Ha Dong gained the support of the progressive French intellectuals to protect this cultural heritage. In 1906, the doctoral laureate’s stalea were ranked as cultural and historical relics by Indochina's Governor-General.

In November 1945, President Ho Chi Minh issued the decree for the protection of the ancient relics throughout Indochina. The doctoral laureate’s stalea were listed as important antiquity. In 1962 Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam was recognized as a state-level historic relic by the Ministry of Culture.

On 25 April, 1988 the Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam was founded. The Center manages the administration, protection, conservation, embellishment and promotion of this important landmark. In 1994, 8 houses of covering stone stalea were rebuilt in the East and West sides sponsored by the Indochina Reconciliation Fund.

(Photo: The houses of covering stone stalea were rebuilt in 1994)

Now the conservation and promotion of the value of 82 doctoral laureate’s stalea is the main task of the Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam. The Center organizes many meaningful scientific and cultural activities each year such as publishing books; organizing science seminars, exhibitions, and educational resources for students to learn about the history and value of the landmark … At the same time, the Center for Scientific and Cultural Activities Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam coordinates with media agencies to promote the cultural and historical value of doctoral laureate’s stalea.

For over 500 years, the preservation and promotion of the 82 doctoral laureate’s stalea has been respected. 

Writer: An Nhien

Translator: Thu Huong