Who is Chu Van An? Chu Van An was a Confucian, teacher, physician, and high- ranking mandarin under the Tran dynasty in Dai Viet.

Chu Van An was born in Van Thon village, Quang Liet commune, present day Thanh Tri district, Ha Noi. In the early life, he was famous as a straightforward man who passed the doctoral examination but refused to become a mandarin.

Instead, Chu Van An opened a school and began his career as a Confucian teacher in Huỳnh Cung village in Thanh Tri. An's teaching played an important role in spreading Confucianism into a Buddhist Vietnam in this time.

Chu Van An had thousands of students, many of whom became mandarins, including high rank mandarins Pham Su Manh and Le Quat who rose to the position of prime minister. 

Later, he resigned and returned to his home village because Tran Du Tong refused his request of beheading eight other mandarins who he accused of corruption. For the rest of his life, An continued his teaching career and wrote books. He died of illness in 1370.

Under the reign of Tran Minh Tong (1314–1329), he became a teacher as well the first principle at the Imperial Academy where he was responsible for teaching the crown prince Vuong, the future emperor Tran Hien Tong. Under the reign of emperor Tran Du Tong, he was raised to a high-ranking mandarin.

Chu Van An was the author of many books: Collections of poems in both the vernacular and classical Chinese, dissertations on Confucian classics, and a treaty on traditional medicine.

Thanh Liệt commune in Thanh Trì district south of Hà Nội is believed to be the birth place of his mother, Lê Thị Chiêm. In the communal house are kept a record of his life and a couplet praising his virtues and achievements.