Majiazhou Academy

Majiazhou Academy

In the history of Jingjiang, many academies were established, but the earliest founded, longest lasting, and most influential was Majiazhou Academy. The current Majiazhou Academy is located within Jingjiang No. 1 Middle School.

In the fourth year of the Jianyan era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1130 AD), over 300 years before the establishment of Jingjiang County, Majiazhou Academy was already in existence. It was built by Kong Yuanqian, the 51st-generation descendant of Confucius. Originally from Taixing, Kong later moved to Xisha in western Jingjiang. Seeing that there was no place for study in the area, he funded the construction of an academy near the ancestral hall of the Kong family on Xisha, naming it “Majiazhou” after the local alias for “Matuosha.” Later, Majiazhou Academy disappeared—reasons unknown, as no historical records remain. In the ninth year of the Chongzhen era during the Ming Dynasty (1636 AD), Chen Hanhui became the magistrate of Jingjiang. Two years into his term, he greatly expanded the Ying’en Pavilion. He first built a memorial archway south of the fence, leading through a path lined with phoenix trees on one side and bamboo on the other, with a gated fence in the middle. Inside the gate were a bridge and a well; beneath the bridge lay a release pond. To the east of the pond stood a stone sluice gate, which, when opened, allowed the tide from the Yangtze River to flow in. South of the sluice gate was a cave, and north of the bridge stood five rooms. To the east was a pavilion called “Da’shi Pavilion,” which stood over 20 meters tall overlooking the pond. Climbing the pavilion offered views of the city, countryside, and mountains. West of the pavilion were several more structures, including a building with over 20 rooms connected by corridors. The surrounding area was enclosed by walls, with white plastered walls and black tiles, giving it a solemn and elegant appearance. This was a proper academy. Because an earlier Majiazhou Academy had been built, to honor and respect its founders, Chen Hanhui named this new academy “Majiazhou Academy” as well.

Within just a few years, the Qing army entered the pass, and the Majiazhou Academy painstakingly built by Chen Hanhui was reduced to ruins in the war. In the 18th year of the Jiaqing era during the Qing Dynasty (1813 AD), a riverbank collapse caused all remnants of Chen Hanhui’s Majiazhou Academy to fall into the river. During this period, descendants of Confucius built another academy at Yongning Bridge in Liupi Port, Xisha, also called Majiazhou Academy, but it too was soon destroyed. Thus, Majiazhou Academy was built and lost three times, becoming a regrettable chapter in history.

In the 30th year of the Daoguang era during the Qing Dynasty (1850 AD), Jia Yiqian became the magistrate of Jingjiang. Learning about the fate of Majiazhou Academy, he was deeply moved. Out of reverence for its founders, he submitted a request to higher authorities to rename Zhengyi Academy as Majiazhou Academy. Zhengyi Academy was located inside the southern gate of the city (now Jingcheng Middle School), built in the 10th year of the Qianlong era during the Qing Dynasty (1745 AD) by Magistrate Yang Fengtai. It had 17 rooms in total: five for the front hall, five for the lecture hall, five for the rear hall, and two side rooms. In terms of scale, it naturally could not compare to the Majiazhou Academy built by Chen Hanhui. In the 31st year of the Guangxu era (1905 AD), the government officially abolished the imperial examination system and mandated the establishment of modern schools. By then, the Zhengyi Academy—renamed Majiazhou Academy—no longer existed. The county government thus built Jingjiang County Advanced Primary School on the site of the former academy.

The main structure of Jingjiang County Advanced Primary School was a two-story building in the shape of a “square frame,” with a very unique design: the center was a square courtyard planted with phoenix trees, also known as the Phoenix Tree House. Both the ground and upper floors were surrounded by corridors, allowing passage from room to room without exposure to rain or sun. Due to its connection to Majiazhou Academy, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1983. In 1984, as the building deteriorated with age and gradually collapsed, Jingcheng Middle School sought approval from the county government to demolish it and construct a new cement structure in the style of a palace, still named “Majiazhou Academy.” Though it was not a restoration of the original academy, nor did it possess the ancient architectural features or cultural value of the square-frame building, it was still tied to the history of Majiazhou Academy and remains worthy of preservation.