The Scholars’ Examination Hall

The Scholars’ Examination Hall

The Scholars’ Examination Hall — A Panoramic Reflection of Ancient China’s Imperial Examination System

Commonly known as the Examination Shed among locals, the Scholars’ Examination Hall was the venue for the child examination stage of the feudal imperial examination system. In the 15th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1835), Zheng Tingrong and his son, local gentry from Cicheng, generously donated 24,000 taels of silver to construct the hall, which was later destroyed. The existing Scholars’ Examination Hall was rebuilt according to detailed diagrams in the Cixi County Annals from the Guangxu period. It faces south and covers an area of nearly 8,000 square meters. The entire complex follows the traditional Chinese central-axis symmetrical layout: along the central axis from south to north are the main gate, ceremonial gate, main hall, second hall, and the Examination Room; on the left and right axes are symmetrically arranged the Examination Halls and Ancestral Shrines, all designed in the traditional Ming and Qing architectural style.

The Cicheng Scholars’ Examination Hall is an important component of the ancient county town. It represents the epitome of an era and a culture, reflecting a panoramic view of China’s ancient imperial examination system. It provides us and future generations with a representative historical and cultural site to understand the ancient imperial examination system.

The imperial examination system was a fundamental method in Chinese history for selecting officials through examinations. It originated in the Sui Dynasty, was established in the Tang Dynasty, perfected in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and was abolished in the late Qing Dynasty. Lasting over 1,300 years, it had a broad and profound impact on the development of Chinese history.

Rooted in the soil of China, the imperial examination system was a machine for screening talent in ancient times. Though abolished in the 31st year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1905), we can still feel the lingering influence of the imperial examination system in modern examination systems. Today's national college entrance examination (Gaokao), high school entrance examination, and civil service recruitment system share certain formal similarities with the imperial exams and have inherited the principles of fair competition and merit-based selection. The imperial examination system is not only a key element of “Imperial Examination Studies,” but also helps us understand today’s national unified college entrance examination system and the significance of selecting talent through examinations.

As a historical and cultural site showcasing the full picture of the imperial examination system, the Cicheng Scholars’ Examination Hall combines knowledge, aesthetics, and entertainment. It educates through engagement, allowing the legacy of the imperial examination system to play an active role in contemporary cultural education and tourism.