The Temple of Literature comprises a series of five courtyards, divided by gates aligned on a north-south axis, all decorated with basins and gardens. From 1076 to 1779, this temple dedicated to Confucius was the setting for the imperial examinations, whose graduates were destined for the highest offices of the State. Some 82 stelae listing the names of the students who passed the exams have survived and can be seen in the third courtyard, arranged on stone tortoises.