THE GATE OF THE WAY AND DAI TRUNG MON GATE

Passing through the Van Mieu gate, visitors enter the first courtyard, known as the The Gate of the Way (Entering the Path) area. This is a green space with lawns and trees, flanked on both sides by two ponds.

The main path, paved with red bricks, leads to the Dai Trung Mon gate into the second courtyard. On either side are two smaller paths leading to two minor gates, each bearing a name that symbolizes intellectual virtue: Thanh Duc (Good Virtue) and Dat Tai (Outstanding Talent).

The Dai Trung Mon gate reflects the architectural style of the Hau Le dynasty (15th–17th centuries). The wooden structure consists of 3 bays and 8 wooden columns, painted in red lacquer, with no doors. The round wooden columns rest on stone pedestals rather than being buried in the ground — it is the weight of the roof itself that provides stability and keeps the columns firmly in place.

The roof of Dai Trung Mon is covered with curved-toe tiles — also known as dragon scale tiles (a type of tile originating from the Ly dynasty, still used in later dynastic architecture) — with a straight roof pitch. The roof decoration features two carp fish flanking a vase, adorned with ceramic mosaic pieces, which is a characteristic decorative style of Nguyen dynasty court architecture. The image of the carp serves as a metaphor, reminding students that if they wish to achieve fame and success, they must study diligently and persevere, in hopes of one day passing the imperial examinations and returning home in glory.

The structure sits on a brick platform edged with stone, with three steps leading up and down, lending it an air of solemnity and grandeur. The floor of the gate is paved with Bat Trang bricks. On either side of Dai Trung Mon stand the two smaller gates, Thanh Duc and Dat Tai — reflecting one of the core educational values of traditional Viet Nam: that a person must possess both virtue and talent.