He was born in Văn Thôn village, Quang Liệt commune, in present-day Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.

In the early life, he was famous as a straightforward man who passed the doctoral examination (Thái Học Sinh / 太學生) but refused to become a mandarin.

Instead, An opened a school and began his career as a Confucian teacher in Huỳnh Cung village in Thanh Tri.

Later, he resigned and return to his home village because Tran Du Tong refused his request of beheading seven other mandarins whom he accused of corruption.

The Seven Decapitations Petition (七斬疏) was written by Chu Văn An and presented to emperor Trần Dụ Tông to propose the beheading of seven officials he considered corrupt.