Vietnamese examinations over a century ago

Images of Vietnamese scholars preparing for exams, crowding around announcement boards, and meeting officials are documented in late 19th-century records.

A surveillance tower within the examination grounds. According to the book, the most common examination at the time was the regional exam. Scholars from all districts within a province, or sometimes multiple provinces, gathered to select the most capable individuals, who would then proceed to the capital to compete with candidates from other provinces. Those who passed the regional exam were commonly referred to as "cong tu" or "cu nhan."

This scene depicts the regional examination in Ha Nam province in 1897. The photo is featured in the book "A Brief Study of Vietnamese Examinations: From Inception to the Mau Ngo Exam of 1918," compiled by scholar Tran Van Giap (1898-1973) and annotated by Nguyen Phuc An.

The Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House released the book for the new school year. The series of photos are preserved and collected by the French School of the Far East (EFEO).

Examiner Tran Si Trac. He was a Confucian scholar who was appointed as the magistrate of Thang Binh and later served as an examiner for the Ha Nam regional exam.

Deputy Examiner Nguyen Gia Thoai.

The announcement ceremony was a large-scale event. The author describes the atmosphere of the examination grounds, the organization, arrangements, and regulations for the participants.

"In the past, those aspiring to advance their social standing had to diligently study to enter the examination system, the gateway to official positions. Thus, for the nation, the examination system was a method of selecting talent, and for scholars, it was a path to honor and prosperity," wrote Tran Van Giap.

Governor-General Cao Xuan Duc attending the 1897 examination. He held various official positions under the Nguyen Dynasty after passing the regional exam in 1876. He was a conscious collector and preserver of ancient books, diligently hiring scribes to copy valuable texts, and established the Long Cuong Bao Tang Library, one of the largest libraries in the former Nghe Tinh province.

Scholars eagerly check the results.

The new graduates greet the officials.

The new graduates are shaded by parasols and paraded through the streets of Nam Dinh.

The cover of "A Brief Study of Vietnamese Examinations." Tran Van Giap also authored several other publications on literature, history, and language, including "Brief Biographies of Vietnamese Authors," "The Geography of Ha Bac during the Le Dynasty," and "Exploring the Han Nom Book Collection."