Under King Ly Thanh Tong in the year of Canh Tuat, the 2nd year of the reign of Than Vu the 2nd (1070), Van Mieu (Confucius Temple) was built and dedicated to Confucius, Zhoukung and the 4 best disciples (YanHui, ZengSen, KungJi, Mencius) as well as 72 Confucian sages and also where The Crown Prince Ly Can Duc came to study.  Quoc Tu Giam (College for the Sons of the Nation) was established under King Ly Nhan Tong, in the first year of the reign of Anh Vu Chieu Thang (1076) as a school for the Crown Prince and the sons of the mandarin aristocracy and literate mandarins within the Capital.  Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam was first built on a small scale, and then gradually greater attention was given, it was expanded and restored on a larger scale to keep up with the development of Confucianism in society.

Buddhism still flourished during the Tran dynasty, and although Tran Kings were involved with fighting against the Mongolian invaders, they paid special attention to Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam and Confucian education.  In 1236 under the Tran dynasty, Pham Ung Than was chosen as a Minister and the De Dieu (chief mandarin) of Quoc Tu Vien (Institute of the Sons of the Nation).  In 1243, the King ordered Quoc Tu Giam to be restored.  In 1253, the King issued an edict to paint the statues of Zhoukung, Confucius and Mencius for worship and called upon Confucian scholars throughout the country to come to Quoc Tu Vien to teach Tu thu (Four Books) and Ngu Kinh (Five Classics).  The foundation of Quoc Tu Vien  (the name Quoc Tu Giam was changed to Quoc Tu Vien) as a school for the Crown Prince and the sons of the mandarin aristocracy and literate mandarins in the Capital and this marked both the development and important role of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam during that period.  Van Mieu was well restored during the Tran dynasty.

In 1272, the King ordered Tu Nghiep (Headmaster) of Quoc Tu Giam to be selected from talented and virtuous men with a great knowledge of Confucian Classics (Four Books, Five Classics).  Under the reign of King Tran Minh Tong (1314-1329), the professor Chu Van An (a native of Thinh Liet village, Thanh Tri, Hanoi) was appointed as Tu Nghiep Quoc Tu Giam.  Apart from the title Tu Nghiep, the university had other educational mandarins such as Tro Giao, Tro Giao Tran Xuan Loi…

During the Tran dynasty, Van Mieu was still a place to honor Confucius, Zhoukung, his 4 closest and best disciples and 72 Confucian sages.  Later, under Tran Kings  Tu Nghiep Quoc Tu Giam, Chu Van An was worshipped at Van Mieu in 1370, the scholar Truong Han Sieu was honored at Van Mieu in 1371 and the scholar Do Tu Binh was worshipped in 1380.  That was a special case that clearly reflected an independent, self-strengthening ideology of Dai Viet (Great Viet) country and in the meantime it was an important distinguishing feature of Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam.

Under the Ho dynasty Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam did not have many changes.