Quzhou Academy

Quzhou Academy

Quzhou Academy is a cultural heritage site protected by Zhejiang Province.

Quzhou Academy is located in Fushan Subdistrict, Kecheng District, Quzhou City, and dates back to the Qing Dynasty.

Quzhou Academy was first established in the 47th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1708), founded by Wu Shiji, a renowned local scholar and a successful candidate in the imperial examinations of the first year of the Yongzheng reign. Originally named Xiuweng, it was later destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. The existing academy is situated at Xiaoximen in downtown Quzhou and features Qing Dynasty architecture. The academy faces south and covers an area of approximately 850 square meters, with a longitudinal rectangular layout. From south to north, it consists of the main gate, front hall, rear hall, and a building. There is a courtyard between the front and rear halls, with side rooms and corridors on both sides, as well as another courtyard between the rear hall and the building.

The front and rear halls served as teaching spaces, each with a total width of 24 meters and a depth of about 8 meters. The front hall has thirteen bays and adopts a structure of seven-rafter flush gable walls with front and rear corridors. The rear hall has nine bays and is built with an eight-rafter flush gable wall structure with front and rear corridors. Between the beams, there are many hanging pillars, a traditional method of reducing interior columns used in ancient architecture, which aimed to free up space for practical use. The rear building is designed as a "running horse" floor structure (a multi-level open corridor), serving as the living quarters for the scholars and also providing accommodation for students who traveled from afar.

The Quzhou Academy buildings are located in a busy urban area and hold high cultural value. The architectural feature of reducing columns through hanging pillars and intricate carvings showcases notable artistic merit. In 2002, the city’s cultural relics department carried out a comprehensive restoration of the academy buildings.

On January 13, 2017, the People's Government of Zhejiang Province designated it as part of the seventh batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units.

Further reading:

· Seventh Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units