The exhibition introduces more than 100 unique educational documents selected from the records of royal, Woodblocks of Nguyen Dynasty – World Documentary Heritage with 5 themes: Opening ceremony, School, Teacher, Learning – Exam, Study promotion – talent promotion.
Materials at the Exhibition. Source: National Archives Center IV.
Theme I – Opening ceremony: The opening ceremony is conducted according to the auspicious day selected by Kham Thien Giam, after the day of the seal opening. Preparations for the opening ceremony were well done. The opening ceremony at the Temple of Literature took place solemnly. Offer wine took all teachers and students with their hats and clothes to Di Luan to announce the announcement of the Master (Confucius). The Opening Ceremony under the Nguyen Dynasty bore the imprint of the era at that time.
Theme II – Schools: Under the Nguyen Dynasty, the public school system was expanded from the capital to localities, organizations to district levels in the plains and at the administrative units in some mountainous areas. The school system operated in a regular and methodical manner.
Materials at the Exhibition. Source: National Archives Center IV.
Theme III – Teachers: Through Records of Royal, Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty, it can be seen that in the ancient society, the teacher had a very important role, not only as a teacher of words but also as a teacher of etiquette and morality and is a role model and is respected and appreciated by society.
Therefore, the selection of teachers was always oriented towards the standard of good literacy, and at the same time, having ethics and temperament according to the standards in the concept at that time.
The Records of Royal and Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty also saved the names of many teachers who were typical examples of morality, temperament and erudition at that time.
Materials at the Exhibition. Source: National Archives Center I.
Theme IV – Learning – Exam: Exams are considered as the way for the king to select people to help the court in governing the country. The Nguyen Dynasty inherited the experiences and institutions on organizing examinations in previous dynasties, and at the same time, it was also the dynasty that perfected examination activities to a higher level, leaving many valuable lessons for the current education and examination activities.
Fairness, seriousness in learning and exams are highly appreciated. In particular, to ensure fairness and purity in the exam, those participating in the exam board, if they have a close relationship with the contestant, must declare to “disqualify” (avoid). Deliberately failure to report will be severely punished.
Theme V – Study Promotion – talent promotion: Records of Royal, Woodblock of the Nguyen Dynasty shows that the Nguyen Dynasty’s kings attached great importance to the recruitment of sages and scholars. The king gave books, oil lamps, and salaries for the students to study in the Temple of Literature. Students living far from home were provided with money to buy blankets against the cold to ensure their health. The Nguyen Dynasty was also a dynasty that had the policy to encourage learning for ethnic minorities.
The ancient education system, including Education under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 – 1945) has receded, but the fairness and strictness in the examinations, the way to train the learning spirit, the way to cultivate morality and personality, and the cultivation of people’s temperament, etc. of the ancients are still values that have sustainable and long-lasting vitality in today’s era.
Calling names. Photo collected
Through the exhibition, the Organizing Committee hopes that this will be a valuable source of documents for researchers and the public with the same interest in this issue.
The 3D exhibition of archival materials “Education of the Nguyen Dynasty – Remaining echoes” starts on September 3, 2021. Photos and information about the exhibition will be updated continuously on the website (http://archives.org.vn/) and fanpage (https://www.facebook.com/luutruquocgia1/) of the National Archives Center I.
Ha Thuy