Former Site of Anyang Academy

Former Site of Anyang Academy

The Former Site of Anyang Academy is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangsu Province.

The Anyang Academy is located between Lion Mountain and Longyao Mountain in Yangshan Town, surrounded by rivers on all sides, offering a tranquil environment. It was first built in the third year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty, funded by Qian Xu, a provisional prefectural magistrate from Zhejiang, on the former site of Ciyuan Nunnery. The existing structures include the academy’s main gate, entrance hall, brick gate tower, north wing rooms, and main hall, all of which are Qing Dynasty buildings. In 2005, during renovation work, the Muxian Hall was constructed. The building covers a total floor area of 480 square meters. The single-arch stone bridge in front of the academy gate is an original structure from the eighth year of the Chenghua reign during the Ming Dynasty, built using locally sourced Yangshan stone, and remains well-preserved and highly valuable to this day. The two ancient ginkgo trees at the entrance are 120 years old.

The entrance hall has three bays and a flush-gable roof; the gate is fitted with Ming Dynasty bluestone gate pier stones. Behind the entrance hall, a brick-carved gate tower connects to the courtyard; the gate tower features the inscribed characters “??阕魅恕薄?nbsp;

The north and south wing rooms each have three bays and a flush-gable roof, with firewalls. The southern corridor has been destroyed. Both the front and rear sections, along with their corridors, face the central courtyard and are connected via outer corridors, enclosing the courtyard.

The main hall has three bays and a flush-gable roof, with a wooden frame structured as inner four bays, front porch, and rear double steps. Both side gables feature firewalls.

The Muxian Hall was built during the 2005 renovation, with a width of three bays and a depth of six rafters.

Both the front and rear sections, along with their corridors, face the central courtyard and are connected via outer corridors, enclosing the courtyard.

On June 5, 2006, the Former Site of Anyang Academy was designated as part of the sixth group of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Group of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangsu Province