EXAM-BASED EDUCATION IN QUANG NAM - DA NANG UNDER THE NGUYEN DYNASTY THROUGH LOCAL EPITAPH DOCUMENTS

Abstract

Quang Nam - Da Nang, a sacred land of extraordinary people with an age-old traditional fondness for learning, has fostered so many talented people for the locality and the country whose reputations have been preserved in history and long-lasting stone epitaphs. Quang Nam - Da Nang is one of the local areas where there still remain many archives of epitaphs relating to the exam-based education under feudal systems. These epitaphs serve not only as materials for researching the exam-based education of Quang Nam - Da Nang but also as a valuable heritage which sets a good example to the future generations. This paper is to present issues of the exam-based education of Quang Nam - Da Nang based on local epitaph documents in terms of:(1) the situation of epitaphs relating to the exam-based education of Quang Nam - Da Nang; (2) the contents of the exam-based education of Quang Nam - Da Nang inscribed in these epitaphs: the land of an age-old tradition for learning, conceptions and and concerns for educational promotion, a pool of candidates in pursuit of mandarinhood,... The results of this paper help to provide readers with a better understanding of the local exam-based education and contribute to the current cause of study encouragement so that the young generations can take a greater pride in the tradition of "students from the land of Quang".