An online exhibition entitled “Education of the Nguyen Dynasty - Remaining Echoes” is being held online by the Department of State Records and Archives, Ministry of Home Affairs on the occasion of the opening of the new school year 2021-2022. It is also available at the website archives.org.vn and facebook.com/luutruquocgia1 from September 3.

The exam area in Nam Dinh Province is under the Nguyen dynasty. Photo courtesy of National Archives Center I

The exhibition introduces to viewers more than 100 unique documents selected from the precious collection of Records of Royal and Woodblocks of the Nguyen Dynasty that are currently being kept at the National Archives Center 1.

The exhibition features five topics including the school opening ceremony, the Nguyen dynasty’s school, the teachers, the studying and examinations, and talent nourishment.

The materials and images on display would help viewers have a more detailed understanding of the learning and exams well as the relationship between teachers and students under the Nguyen Dynasty.

The opening ceremony of the school year was usually held solemnly at the Temple of Literature. The opening date of the new academic year was also carefully selected by the officials from Kham Thien Giam (Directorate of Imperial Observatory).

The exhibition also introduces the school system under the Nguyen Dynasty, which was arranged systematically from the central to local levels, from higher education to general education.

A Records of Royal of Nguyen dynasty was released in 1826 with the content of "giving each contestant 10 yuan to buy blankets". Photo courtesy of National Archives Center I

According to the organizing committee, the displayed Records of Royal and Woodblocks also showcase the important role of the teacher under the Nguyen Dynasty.

“Teachers are not only responsible for teaching but also representatives of etiquette and morality. They were the typical examples for students as well as the whole society for leading a noble lifestyle”, the exhibition organizers stated.

The ancient documents save the names of many typical teachers under the Nguyen Dynasty such as Nguyen Dinh Chieu (1822-1888), Tran Quy Cap (1870-1908), Phan Boi Chau (1867 - 1940) among others.

The feudal educational achievements of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945) went down in history, but the fairness and rigor in the examinations, the way of training the learning spirit, of cultivating the morality and the personality in the old days are still valuable today.