Pale Scholars in Trần Dynasty Vietnam
In the extant English-language scholarship on Vietnam, most scholars argue that there was little presence of Confucianism during the period of the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225) and that it was only…
Confucianism and Buddhism in Premodern Vietnam
I find that when it comes to talking about the religions/teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism in Vietnamese history, many people have a difficult time understanding how they were related.The…
Lý Công Uẩn’s “Superstitious” Beliefs
As I mentioned in the previous post, in English-language scholarship on premodern Vietnamese history, the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225) is usually described as not being Confucian.In fact, many historians writing in…
The Lý Dynasty Wasn’t Confucian. . . Really??!!
In the English-language scholarship on Vietnamese history, the Lý Dynasty (1009-1225), the first major Vietnamese dynasty, is usually presented as not being influenced by Confucian ideas and institutions. Instead, historians…
The Văn Miếu (Temple of Literature) was Built in 1070. . . Really??!!
I do not know how many times I have heard or read that the Văn Miếu (Temple of Literature) in Hanoi was “built” in 1070 AD, but it’s a lot,…