Hoi An Confucius Temple is a must see attraction in Hoi An Old Town, Vietnam. It’s constructed in the 1960s when the town served as the capital of Quang Nam province. Here, local authorities and citizens have worshipped Confucius and his eminent students and honored the education. So now, let’s HoiAn Day Trip Company provide all information about Confucius Temple of Hoi An.
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• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Hoi An Confucius Temple
– Location/address: 126 Tran Hung Dao street, Minh An ward, Hoi An, Vietnam
– Other name(s): Confucian Temple of Hoi An, Temple of Literature of Hoi An, Temple of Letters of Hoi An, Khong Mieu Hoi An
– Opening hours: 8 AM to 5 PM daily
– Ticket price: free
– Duration: 15-30 mins
– Reason(s) to visit: one of the most important places for local Chinese community
– Best time to visit: anytime in opening hours
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-confucius-temple
– Tour guide: contact +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo)
– Recognition(s): national heritage (2013), Unesco world heritage site (1999)
– Food & drink: not available
– Shopping: not available
– Fact:
Hoi An Confucius Temple on Map
History of Confucius Temple in Hoi An
Present-day Confucius Temple of Hoi An was constructed in 1961. Before that, local people had to build and rebuild it many times. The first temple (the Confucius Temple of Quang Nam Province) was built in Cau Nhi village, Dien Phuoc commune, Dien Ban district in the reign of Gia Long king (1802-1820). Due to river erosion, it’s moved to the eastern side of the village but later, it’s harmed by river erosion again. In 1885, French people destroyed it. In 1900, in the reign of Thanh Thai king, it’s rebuilt but in 1945, heavily damaged in the French war. In September 1960, the Confucian Association of Quang Nam Province suggested constructing the new Confucius temple in Cam Pho village at Hoi An. At that time, Hoi An played the role as prefecture or capital of the province. In 2002, it’s restored and In 2017, with financial assistance from the government, new constructions were added.
In the same year, 1961, a memorial tower was built in the front of the Confucius temple, on the other side of ‘Quang Nam road’ (today Tran Hung Dao St). It’s to commemorate notability and strong-willed people of the province.
The Confucius Temple of Hoi An is used to worship Confucius (685-758, most famous philosopher, teacher, and political theorist of China), his disciples, and local students who passed Vietnam’s imperial examinations by 1945.
Worship of Confucius started in Hoi An a long time ago. Before the Confucius Temple was built, people in Cam Pho and Minh Huong villages had their own Confucian temple. Please see information about these temples below.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Architecture of Hoi An Confucius Temple
The Confucius Temple of Hoi An has a triple, a half-moon bridge, a lotus lake, memorial pillars and protective screen, a worshipping hall, a back worshipping hall, the East house and the West house. All are well arranged in an area of 5,800 m2.
The triple gate of Hoi An Confucius Temple has three entrances, four columns with pumpkin-like stone base, and four tile roofs. Above the middle entrance, the name board features three Chinese words which mean ‘Confucian Temple’, and in higher position, a painting portraying Confucius teaching his students. On the other side of the gate, another name board with the same words will be seen. On the columns, there are significant sentences written in vertical and in Chinese language.
The next building is the half moon bridge spanning a squared lotus lake. It’s not long and paved by Bat Trang tiles. At the end of the bridge, there is a protective screen (binh phong), safeguarding the temple from bad spirits, and two pillars on each side. The front face of the screen is decorated by a longma or ‘dragon horse’, a mythical animal with dragon as head and horse as body, and a pastor, a lumberjack, a sword, and a ink brush (pen). On the back face of the screen, it’s possible to see two others of four categories of the people in Vietnamese society: a man going fishing and a man ploughing in the field. The sword and pen symbolize those who are ‘well versed in letters and military technology’ or fine scholars and soldiers.
Four pillars are topped by an unicorn and decorated by meaningful parallel sentences in Chinese.
Across a tile paved yard, there is the worshipping hall. It’s built of brick, with three entrances, two layers of tile roof which have dragons. Above the middle entrance, the board has 4 Chinese words meaning ‘teacher of all ages’ (Confucius).
In the garden surrounding monuments, pines are grown, to symbolize the 10 teachings of Confucius and 70 disciples of Confucius.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Tower to Commemorate Quang Nam’s Notability & Strong-Willed People
This memorial tower is in front of Hoi An Confucius Temple, on the other side of Tran Hung Dao street. It’s constructed in the same years, 1961-1962. It’s nearly 10 meters tall, standing on a square base in the middle of a lake, to represent ‘heaven and earth’ or ‘ying yang’ in Asian philosophy. Around its bottom, there are four dragons rising up and four paintings depicting famous natural places in the province: Marble Mountains, Hai Van Mountain Pass, Nong Son Coal Mine and Cham Islands. These places symbolize a good/beautiful piece of land. On it, there are nine Chinese words (廣 南 名 人 志 士 紀 念 臺) which mean ‘Tower to Commemorate Notability and Strong-Willed People of Quang Nam (province)’. Not only meaningful, this building is also good for taking photos.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Other Confucius Temples in Hoi An
Minh Huong Confucius Temple
The Confucius Temple of Minh Huong Village is at 20 Phan Chu Trinh St, Minh An ward, within Hoi An Ancient Town (behind Trung Hoa Assembly Hall). It’s constructed in the late 18th century. Here, local Chinese communities have worshipped Confucius, the Four Sages (four eminent Chinese philosophers in the Confucian tradition) and the Ten Sages (ten eminent Chinese philosophers in the Confucian tradition). This temple was recognized as a provincial historical site.
Cam Pho Confucius Temple
The Confucius Temple of Cam Pho Village is on Hung Vuong St, Minh An ward, within Hoi An Ancient Town (in front of Vien Giac Market or Cam Pho Market). It’s constructed in the late 18th century and restored in 1879, 1913, 1929. It’s used to worship Confucius and other eminent figures in Confucianism. In history, many locals passed imperial examinations and worked in the king’s government. This temple was recognized as a provincial historical site.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Tips to Visit Hoi An Confucius Temple
– It’s free to visit Hoi An Confucius Temple although it lies within Hoi An Old Town world heritage site area;
– Visitors need to wear respectively if want to visit Hoi An Confucius Temple because it’s a holy site. In other words, it’s needed to wear long pants or shorts covering upper knees, T-shirts or shirts covering armpits, navel, shoulder and breast.
– Vietnamese traditional costume ao dai dress is highly recommended. Any garment made of see-through material is not respectful.
– In the dry season, from February to the end of August, visitors should bring sun cream, hat/cap/umbrella, sun glasses, and bottles of water to drink. If don’t have, it’s easy to buy at shops near the Hoi An Confucius Temple.
– In the rainy season, from September to January, visitors should bring rain poncho/jacket or umbrella, sandals or waterproof shoes. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast usually when traveling during this period.
– From October to December, the town may be flooded, so visitors need to keep updating the weather before going to Hoi An.
– The best way to visit the Hoi An Old Town is walking, so make sure that you have good/comfortable shoes or sandals.
– Smartphone or camera is needed for taking pictures. For more experiences, visitors can consider renting Vietnamese traditional costume (for example, ao dai long dress for ladies) or even booking a private photographer.
– Don’t forget bringing cash to pay for entry fee tickets and small things because many places in Vietnam don’t accept payment by cards.
– Toilets are near the second gate (outside) and behind the second worshipping area. Visitors may give a small money to pay for cleaning (usually 5,000 VND).
– There are many chairs and seats inside Hoi An Confucius Temple, to have a break and learn about the history of the place.
– It’s better to visit Hoi An Confucius Temple with a local guide. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) if need a professional guide in Hoi An.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
How to Get to Hoi An Confucius Temple
Hoi An Confucius Temple is at 122 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cam Pho ward, Hoi An, Vietnam. It lies within the Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage site area.
From Hoi An, visitors can go to the Cam Pho Communal House by walking, bicycle, motorcycle, taxi/car, electric bus, shuttle bus of the hotel/resort, cyclo, bus/minivan. This building is in the pedestrian zone during many hours of the day (9-11:30 am, 3 to 9:30 pm), so it’s still needed to have a short walk if don’t cycle. The nearest place to drop off or park is in the west end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street (near the Red Seal Ship). The parking fee is 5,000-10,000 VND/bike/time.
From Da Nang, the distance to the Cam Pho Communal House in Hoi An is some 30 kilometers, to the south. Visitors often choose a car or ride the motorbike by themselves. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/zalo/line) to book a private roundtrip transfer by car.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes transfers to Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Itinerary to Visit Hoi An Old Town for First Timer
First of all, to enter and visit the Hoi An Old Town (the part inscribed by Unesco), visitors need to buy an entry ticket. Its price is 120,000 VND per adult and children above 15 years old and free of charge for smaller kids. Entry to 5 attractions is also included for free. See more information & details
If possible, first time visitors should go with a local guide, to know better about history and culture. Contact us by +84968009827 (call/whatsapp) to book a private English-speaking guide.
We suggest this itinerary for first timers:
Total distance: 1,65 kilometers
– Starting point: the Japanese style gate (the west end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street). A model of the Red Seal Ship Model (Japanese merchant’s ship) and a ticket office are in a close distance.
– Walk along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee Cam Pho Communal House (ticket required), Japanese Culture Gallery (ticket required), Phung Hung Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required), Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel (in the alleyway, ticket required).
– Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the symbol of Hoi An. This place definitely is a must see attraction.
– Walk along Tran Phu Street, the most beautiful road in Hoi An, until Hoi An Central Market. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee so many historical attractions. From the bridge to the market, there are Cantonese Assembly Hall (ticket required), Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (ticket required), Duc An Old House (ticket required), Kazik Park (free), Quan Thang Old House (ticket required), Museum of Trade Ceramics (ticket required), Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (ticket required), Fujian Assembly Hall (ticket required), Quan Cong Temple (ticket required), Quan Am Pagoda (ticket required), Hoi An Central Market (free to enter), a couple of rooftop coffee shops, Instagrammable spots, shophouses selling lanterns, food, souvenirs and fashion items.
– Walk southwards and along Tieu La Street (east side of Hoi An Central Market). On this road, there are many vendors and stalls selling a diversity of local products, giving a good chance to know about local life and photograph.
– Walk westwards and along Bach Dang Street (the riverside street). On this road, visitors will see Hoi An Traditional Performance House (ticket required if want to watch shows) and Museum of Folklore (ticket required).
– Turn into Le Loi Street and then turn left, walking along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. On this road, visitors will see Tan Ky Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required) and Diep Dong Nguyen Old House (not yet opened to visitors, see from outside).
– The ending point: the crossroad near the north end of An Hoi Bridge or the west end of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. In the evening, from here, visitors can walk cross the bridge and then turn right to see the entrance of the Hoi An Night Market, the biggest night market in Hoi An.
For more details and the map, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-self-guided-walking-tour
Guided Tours to Hoi An Ancient Town Vietnam
From Hoi An
– Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour – 2 Hour Express Tour with Local
– Hoi An Half Day Walking Tour with Traditional Art Performance
– Hoi An City Tour: Old Town, Coconut Village & Lunch
– Hoi An Morning Walking Tour with Local Breakfast & Coffee
– Hoi An Afternoon Walking Tour with Thu Bon River Sunset Cruise
– Hoi An Night Tour with Lantern Boat Ride & Dinner
– Hoi An History & Food Tour – Famous Landmarks & Specialty Dishes
– Hoi An Instagram Tour: Best Photo Spots & Rooftop Café
– Hoi An Old Town Food Tour with Night Boat Ride
– Hoi An Old Town Private Walking Tour with Local Expert
– Hoi An City Tour by Electric Car
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
From Da Nang
– Hoi An Half Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Hoi An Memories Show
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An City Tour from Airport
– Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang with Chinese Speaking Guide
– My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An Tour – World Heritage Site Tour
– Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Chan May Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Intercontinental Danang Resort
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Lang Co
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Places to Visit near Hoi An Confucius Temple
– Bridges: Japanese Covered Bridge (Pagoda Bridge), Moonlight Bridge, An Hoi Bridge (Bridge of Lights), Cam Nam Bridge
– Museums: Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, Museum of Sa Folklore, Museum of Trade Ceramics, Museum of Traditional Medicine, Hoi An Museum of History & Culture, Japanese Culture Gallery, Black Sesame Soup Demonstration, Museum of Local Products
– Chinese assembly halls: Cantonese Assembly Hall, Fujian Assembly Hall, Trung Hoa Assembly Hall, Hainan Assembly Hall, Teochew Assembly Hall
– Heritage houses: Tan Ky Old House, Phung Hung Old House, Duc An Old House, Quan Thang Ancient House, Diep Dong Nguyen House, Thai Phien Ancient House
– Temples & pagodas: Quan Cong Temple (Ong Pagoda), Ba Mu Temple, Phap Bao Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, Hoi An Confucius Temple, Cao Dai Temple of Hoi An, Hoi An Ancestral Temple, Cam Pho Confucius Temple, Minh Huong Confucius Temple, Vien Giac Pagoda, Hy Hoa Temple
– Family chapels: Tran Family Chapel, Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel
– Communal houses: Cam Pho Communal House, Hoi An Communal House, Minh Huong Communal House, Tu Le Communal House, Xuan Lam Communal House, Son Phong Communal House
– Markets: Hoi An Central Market, Hoi An Cloth/Fabric Market, Hoi An Night Market (Nguyen Hoang Night Market), Cam Pho Market
– Theatres: Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House, Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts (now where Teh Dar Show takes place), Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park (now where Hoi An Memories Show takes place)
– Famous streets: Tran Phu Street, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Bach Dang Street/Wharf, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Hoi An Lantern Streets
– Other points of interest: Red Seal Ship Model, Hoi An Evanlegical Church, Thong Dang Prison & Park, Kazik Park (Memory Statue of Kazimierz Kwiatkowski), Hoai River (Hoi An River), Song Hoai Square, An Hoi Sculpture Park, Hoi An Catholic Church, Hoi An Prison, Hoi An Central Park, Ba Le Well, Hoi An Lantern Park, An Hoi Island, Cam Nam Island, Thu Bon River, Da Ken Tree
Photos, Videos about Hoi An Confucius Temple
Here are beautiful photos and videos about Hoi An Confucius Temple:
