Cultural Classics, Sacred Sites of the Way (Part 2)
Section 2: Ancient Temples and Academies, Farming-and-Reading Ancient Villages. The World's Oldest Surviving Academy — Yuanling's Longxing Lecture Temple. At the confluence of the Yuan and You rivers lies an exceptionally auspicious site. Emperor Taizong of Tang chose this place and issued an imperial edict, and thus a temple arose on this treasured land.
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
Section II
Ancient Temples and Academies, a Farming-and-Reading Ancient Village
The World's Oldest Surviving Academy — Longxing Lecture Temple in Yuanling
The world's oldest surviving academy — Longxing Lecture Temple in Yuanling — is located where the Yuan River and You River converge, a particularly excellent site of geomantic fortune. In those days, Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty took a fancy to this place. He issued an imperial edict, and thus, on this treasured site arose a building of super-large scale and super-refined construction for its time — the Great Tang Longxing Lecture Temple. Longxing Lecture Temple is at the foot of Huxi Mountain in the northwest corner of Yuanling County town. It was first built in the second year of Zhenguan of the Tang Dynasty (628), over 1,370 years ago. The Yuanling Longxing Lecture Temple was a temple specially built by Emperor Taizong Li Shimin in the second year of his accession to the throne for the purpose of teaching Buddhist studies.
The Largest Private Printing Center in the South During the Yuan Dynasty — Dongshan Academy in Chaling
Dongshan Academy in Chaling gained its fame through its printing and engraving. In ancient times, academies were not merely educational institutions but also book-collecting and printing institutions. In this sense, academies had already become places of cultural inheritance and cultural dissemination. Hunan once had three major printing centers: Changsha, Baoqing, and Chaling. Dongshan Academy was founded by Chen Renzi, a notable figure from Chaling in the Song Dynasty. He lived in seclusion in his hometown, and though the Yuan court summoned him multiple times to offer him official positions, he declined, devoting himself single-mindedly to teaching students, pursuing scholarship, and printing books. Through his efforts, Dongshan Academy became the largest private book-printing academy in southern China at the time.
Hunan's Earliest Academy — Nanyue Academy
Nanyue Academy is located in Hengyang, Hunan. Built between the Yuanhe and Baoqing eras of the Tang Dynasty (816–824), it is the earliest academy in Chinese history. Li Fan, then Prefect of Suizhou, built it in memory of his father Li Bi, both for enshrinement and for book collection, as well as for later generations to browse and give lectures. Nanyue had a large number of academies, ranking first in the country. Groups of Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholars who visited Nanyue all came to Nanyue Academy to lecture, and the Huxiang School truly originated from here. Nanyue Academy is highly distinctive in Hunan and even nationwide. The external spatial forms of the academies have three main types: ① surrounded by mountains on three sides with water in front; ② backed by the main mountain with water on three sides; ③ backed by a large mountain with the other three sides open, one of which faces water. Nanyue Academy also embodies the characteristics of Huxiang culture. The decoration and colors of the academy spaces also reflect the literati's aesthetic pursuit of dignity, simplicity, and unadorned elegance, opposing luxurious extravagance.
China's Best-Preserved Ancient Academy — Yuelu Academy
Yuelu Academy is one of the four great ancient academies of China and is currently the best-preserved ancient academy in China. Its predecessor can be traced back to the late Tang and Five Dynasties period (around 958) when two monks, Zhirui and another, ran a school. In the ninth year of Kaibao of the Northern Song Dynasty (976), Tanzhou Prefect Zhu Dong formally established Yuelu Academy on this foundation. In 1926, it was officially named Hunan University, a name it retains to this day. Having endured a thousand years, it is known as the "Millennium Academy." Yuelu Academy is renowned worldwide for its teaching and dissemination of academic culture. Yuelu Academy covers an area of 21,000 square meters. Most of the existing buildings are relics from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The main buildings include the front gate, second gate, lecture hall, and Banxue Studio, divided into three major sections: teaching, book collection, and worship, fully displaying the magnificent and grand scene of ancient Chinese architecture. The academy also preserves a large number of steles and plaques, such as the Tang-carved "Lushan Temple Stele," the Ming-carved stone archway with Emperor Zhenzong of Song's handwritten "Yuelu Academy," the "Cheng Zi Four Admonitions Stele," the Qing Dynasty imperial plaques "Learning Reaches Heaven and Nature" and "Orthodox Lineage of the South," and the Qing-carved Zhu Xi "Loyalty, Filial Piety, Integrity, and Honesty Stele."
Hunan's No. 1 Scenic Spot — Shigu Academy
Shigu Academy, situated on Shigu Mountain in the north of Hengyang City, was first built in the fifth year of Yuanhe of the Tang Dynasty (810 AD). In the third year of Zhidao of the Song Dynasty (997 AD), local resident Li Shizhen expanded the academy as a place for Hengzhou scholars to lecture. In the second year of Jingyou (1035 AD), the imperial court bestowed the plaque "Shigu Academy," and it was known along with Suiyang Academy, White Deer Grotto Academy, and Yuelu Academy as the four great academies of the nation. In the 40th year of Wanli (1612), Grand Coordinator and Surveillance Commissioner Deng Yunxiao extensively renovated the academy to "cultivate scholars and edify the people," building the Jiangyi Hall, Jingyi Hall, Huilan Hall, Daguan Tower, Yanggao Tower, Dizhu Zhongliu Archway, Lingxing Gate, and the Fengyu, Canglang, Yu Stele, and Hejiang pavilions. Other "halls, shrines, and dormitories were all fully repaired," reaching a scale of grandeur unprecedented for the time. In the 15th year of Chongzhen (1642), Education Commissioner Gao Shitai repaired it, but it was destroyed in warfare at the end of the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, the academy was repeatedly expanded and repaired. Han Yu, Zhou Dunyi, Zhu Xi, Zhang Shi, Fan Chengda, Xin Qiji, Wen Tianxiang, Xu Xiake, Wang Fuzhi, and others came one after another, either lecturing and teaching students, composing poems and writing records, inscribing on walls and carving steles, or exploring scenic spots, creating a magnificent spectacle. It is called "Hunan's No. 1 Scenic Spot."
Jiangnan's No. 1 Stele Garden — Tianning Stele Garden
The Tianning Stele Garden was built in 1992, located in the Taohuayuan (Peach Blossom Spring) Scenic Area of Changde, Hunan. It was renamed after the Tianning Academy recorded in Tang Dynasty documents and is Jiangnan's No. 1 stele garden. With a three-terrace layout covering over 10 mu, it consists of stele rooms, stele screens, stele pavilions, stele archways, and stele corridors, forming an antique courtyard-style architectural complex. The stele garden brings together the finest of folk stone art and gathers the essence of Peach Blossom Spring culture, making it a highly distinctive palace of art.
China's Most Complete Surviving Ancient Dong Academy — Gongcheng Academy
Gongcheng Academy is located at the foot of Luomeng Mountain in Tongdao County, covering an area of 2,830 square meters. It was first built in 1105 during the Song Dynasty, originally called "Luomeng Academy," and was later destroyed by fire. In the 57th year of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, i.e., 1792, some skilled Dong craftsmen rebuilt "Luomeng Academy" on the original site and renamed it "Gongcheng Academy." This is China's most complete surviving ancient Dong academy. Having endured 210 years of wind and rain, this ancient academy consists of four parts: the gate tower, study rooms, lecture hall, and connecting corridors, with the architectural complex being complete and orderly. The gate tower with its upturned eaves is majestic and spectacular, and the moss-covered stone steps exude an air of antiquity. Ascending the steps and entering the academy, one finds a long corridor with six study buildings symmetrically distributed on both sides, each with two stories, and each study building having four lecture rooms and one dormitory.
Hunan's Earliest Surviving Family Academy — Guanlan Academy
Guanlan Academy is located in Pushang Group, Baishu Village, Qili Town, Zixing City, Hunan Province, and is the family academy of the local Cao clan. According to historical records such as the "Cao Family Genealogy" and the "Xingning County Gazetteer," the founder was Cao Xingxi, a metropolitan graduate during the Shaoding era of the Southern Song Dynasty who served as Prefect of Ba Prefecture. Cao Xingxi moved his family from Hengyang to Qili Town in Zixing and founded the Cao family academy in what is now Baishu Village, Qili Town, Zixing, to educate Cao descendants. Guanlan Academy was built in 1231 AD, with a history of 777 years. It is the family academy of the three prosperous Cao clan branches in the area, and it produced six metropolitan graduates, among whom Cao Yiben was even a Yuan Dynasty top scholar. The academy possesses a Yuan Dynasty stone stele with inscriptions on both sides and several Ming and Qing Dynasty steles. Guanlan Academy is the earliest surviving family academy discovered in Hunan to date.
The Township That Produced the Most Prime Ministers in Chinese History — Zhitang Township, Chaling County
Zhitang Township in Chaling County is the township that produced the most prime ministers in Chinese history. In Zhitang Township there is a stele marking the "Hometown of Three Great Scholars." These three great scholars are Li Dongyang, Grand Secretary and Chief Councillor of the Ming Dynasty; Zhang Zhi, Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion of the Ming Dynasty; and Peng Weixin, Grand Secretary of the Grand Council of the Qing Dynasty. Among them, Li Dongyang was also the leader of the renowned "Dongyang Poetry School." Not only that, this place also produced over 30 metropolitan graduates, including Tan Zhonglin, Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and even Tan Yankai, Chairman of the Nationalist Government and President of the Executive Yuan, was a native of this place.
The Most Perfect Specimen of Farming-and-Reading Culture — Zhangguying Village in Yueyang
Zhang Guying Village, located at the foot of Weidong Bijia Mountain east of Yueyang, Hunan, is the most completely preserved ancient architectural complex of Jiangnan folk dwellings in China, and has existed for more than 500 years. With its grand scale, unique architectural style, and beautiful architectural art, Zhang Guying Village can be called 'the finest village under heaven.' The people of Zhang Guying Village have for generations revered the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, valuing etiquette and education. The villagers take pride in reading and consider illiteracy a shame; the custom of loving to read has been passed down from generation to generation. In the era of the imperial examinations, there were 1 jinshi, 7 juren, 6 gongsheng, 1 gongyuan, 1 yisheng, 45 xiangsheng, 33 taixuesheng, and more than 240 contemporary university students, as well as doctoral students and students studying abroad.
The far-famed 'Village of Professors' — Wusu Village, Yuanling
Wusu Village, in the Erqiu Miao Ethnic Township of Yuanling County, upholds the ancient precept of 'farming and reading as family tradition.' In recent decades, the village has produced 48 professors and experts one after another, becoming a far-famed 'Village of Professors.' Among them are Professor Liu Wanzhen of Tsinghua University, Sun Guowei, deputy chief engineer of the Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Project Construction and Management Bureau, Professor Liu Chengyu of Southwest Jiaotong University, Professor Liu Qinmao of Central China Normal University, and Professor Li Jiaxi of Xiangtan University.
A Model of the Refined Farming-and-Reading Culture — Gaoyi Ancient Village, Huitong
Gaoyi Ancient Village is located within Huitong County. Because it is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces water on one, its terrain resembles a tall armchair, hence the name. The entire village has more than 590 households and over 2,200 people. The village still preserves 104 ancient residential buildings constructed over 500 consecutive years during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1380–1881 AD). In this small village there were once five schools, and 154 people passed the imperial examinations and obtained official rank. The Huguang education commissioner once presented a plaque inscribed with 'A Century of Cultivating Talent.' In the Qing dynasty, a man named Yang Bingzhang wrote a poem for this: 'A hall of books, so pure and bright, where many scholars study, bringing glory to the nation. Where does one apply oneself morning and night? Tang poetry, Jin calligraphy, Han essays.'
An Ancient Village of Farming and Reading Tradition — Banliang Village, Yongxing County
Banliang is located in Banliang Village, Yongxing County. Its bluestone alleys stretch four to five kilometers, with more than 360 blue-brick houses and rows of tall horse-head walls. With a history of over 600 years, it can be called Hunan's foremost Ming and Qing ancient village. In a village of less than two thousand people, over a hundred people passed the imperial examinations and became officials. Among them, three are historically verifiable as officials of the third rank or above, and dozens of the seventh rank or above. These families of officials who traveled abroad would often, when they achieved success, return home to build private residences and pay respects to their ancestors. Thus on this inconspicuous land they left behind countless moving legends and numerous deep courtyards and tall mansions blending northern and southern architectural styles, adding endless reverie for later generations.
Hunan's Ancient Village of a Thousand Years with Lingering Ink and Fragrance — Shanggantang Village, Jiangyong
The historically and culturally famous village of Shanggantang served as the seat of Xiemu County from the sixth year of Yuanding in the Han dynasty (111 BC) to the ninth year of Kaihuang in the Sui dynasty (589 AD), a period of 700 years. Xiemu County was named after the confluence of the Xie and Mu waters into the Xiemu River. These two waters are in fact male and female waters. The male water originates from Xiongchuan Source in Duchong Ridge, coming from high mountain rainwater; the Mu water is the female water, originating from limestone groundwater. At the confluence of the male and female waters, surrounded by mountains and embraced by water, the geomantic energy is uniquely favorable — truly a treasured geomantic site. The Zhou clan ancestors settled and built homes here during the Tianbao era of the Tang dynasty, naming it Gantang, and it has been 1,240 years to this day. Gantang, nestled by mountains and water, has beautiful scenery and many historical sites; its stele pavilions and towers are intact, making it a tourist destination where cultural landscapes and natural scenic spots are concentrated. It is the oldest ancient village of a thousand years discovered so far in Hunan Province. It is a well-preserved ancient village with cultural features in architecture, commerce, academies, and religion. The village still preserves more than 200 ancient dwellings from the Ming and Qing dynasties. At the 'Yuepo Pavilion' in Shanggantang Village there is a cliff inscription. According to research, this inscription was carved successively by the Zhou clan of Shanggantang Village over a thousand years. Its main content praises the beautiful scenery of Shanggantang Village and the various construction projects carried out by the Zhou clan in the village. There are altogether 24 ancient inscriptions, including merit steles, exhortatory texts, reflective poems, and poems on the eight scenic views, spanning the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties — a thousand-year cliff-inscription family genealogy. This cliff inscription, carved by a single clan over more than a thousand years and specifically reflecting the thousand-year development history of that clan, was discovered for the first time in Hunan Province. It has important reference value for studying rural history and folk customs during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing periods, especially the local history, culture, and religion.