Wang Shouren’s Lecture Hall

Wang Shouren’s Lecture Hall

Wang Shouren’s Lecture Hall is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

On Longquan Mountain within Yuyao City lies the lecture hall of the esteemed Master Wang Yangming — Zhongtian Pavilion. Originally built during the Five Dynasties period, it was named after a line from the renowned Tang Dynasty poet Fang Gan’s poem “Ascending to the Summit of Longquan Mountain”: “In mid-heaven, the air is fresh, the stars and Milky Way seem near; in the world below, seasons are bountiful, and thunder and rain fall in balance.” The environment here is tranquil, with green trees dotting the landscape and dappled light filtering through. In spring, peach blossoms bloom as if smiling; in summer, pomegranate flowers blaze like fire; in autumn, the fragrance of osmanthus wafts through the air; and in winter, wintersweet blossoms burst forth in full glory. Facing southward, the view is unobstructed — it is truly an ideal place for reading and scholarly pursuits. During the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, it was converted into a lecture hall by the great Confucian scholar Qian Dehong. By the end of the Zhengde era, when Wang Yangming returned to Yuyao to pay respects at his ancestral tombs, he was invited by seventy-four individuals, including Qian Dehong, Xia Chun, Fan Yinian, Zhu Yang, and Chai Feng, to Zhongtian Pavilion, where they became his disciples. In the early years of the Jiajing reign, while Wang Yangming was observing mourning for his father at home, he held regular lectures at Zhongtian Pavilion on set dates: the 1st, 8th, 15th, and 23rd days of each month, which were personally taught by Master Wang himself. On lecture days, more than 300 people would come to listen. On other days, Qian Dehong continued to lead the lessons, teaching Wang’s philosophy, and the students referred to him as the “Teaching Master.” Wang Yangming also established academic regulations for his students titled “Admonitions to Students at Zhongtian Pavilion,” which he personally inscribed on the wall to instruct and inspire them.

The existing Zhongtian Pavilion is a two-story building with five bays, constructed during the Qing Dynasty. The main hall features an imperial couplet inscribed by Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty: “The waters of wisdom quench the heart’s fire; the breeze of benevolence sweeps away worldly dust.” At the top hangs a portrait of Master Wang Yangming — broad forehead, high cheekbones, gaunt and solemn expression, with hollowed cheeks, a trimmed beard, and a contemplative gaze. With seven black moles, three on the left temple and four on the right, the portrait truly captures the authentic likeness of Master Wang Yangming.

To the east of Zhongtian Pavilion lies an ever-flowing stone well, whose surface often displays ripple patterns resembling swimming dragons, hence known as the “Dragon Spring.”

On March 16, 2005, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province.