Ji'an Yangming Academy

Ji'an Yangming Academy

The Yangming Academy is situated in the Qingyuan Mountain Scenic Area in Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province. It was formerly known as the Jiu Yi Guild Hall or Qingyuan Guild Hall and boasts a history of more than 500 years. In the fifth year of the Zhengde era (1510), while serving as the magistrate of Luling, Wang Yangming gave lectures at Qingyuan Mountain, establishing the foundation for the development of Jiangyou Wang School and making Luling known as a “land of Neo-Confucianism,” earning the reputation of being the “Eastern Zoulu and Western Xijiang’s Academy.” To commemorate Wang Yangming, the people of Luling built the Yangming Academy in the 19th year of the Daoguang era (1839) on Qingyuan Mountain. The academy later experienced periods of prosperity and decline. In 2012, Ji'an City reconstructed the Yangming Academy on its original site, restoring it to its former appearance based on the architectural style of ancient Luling buildings. The central axis of the academy consists of the entrance hall, Chuanxin Hall, and Five Sages Shrine, all exuding an antique charm and breathtaking beauty.

In the fifth year of the Zhengde era (1510), Wang Shouren (also known as Wang Yangming), who was then the magistrate of Luling, together with Zou Shouyi (a native of Anfu and a third-place scholar in the imperial examinations of the Ming Dynasty), lectured on the “Doctrine of the Good Conscience” at Qingyuan Mountain. Later, many scholars joined in discussions, and school fields were established. After Wang Yangming's passing, large-scale lectures on his philosophy were held at Qingyuan Mountain every spring and autumn. During these events, disciples of the Wang School from across the country traveled great distances to attend. As a result, Qingyuan Mountain became a center for the study of Wang’s philosophy, and Luling earned the title of “land of Neo-Confucianism.”

In the 40th year of the Wanli era (1612), Ji'an notable figures Zou Yuanbiao (1551–1624, from Jishui, who served as Vice Minister of Justice and later as Left Censor-in-Chief) and Guo Zizhang (1542–1618, from Taihe, who rose to the rank of Minister of War) accepted the suggestion of monk Benji and raised funds to relocate the guild hall from inside Jingju Temple to the area in front of the mountain outside the temple. Beside Daiyue Bridge and south of Cuiping Mountain, they rebuilt the “Chuanxin Hall” and the “Five Sages Shrine” (the five sages refer to Wang Shouren, Zou Shouyi, Nie Bao, Ouyang De, and Luo Hongxian). Next to the shrine, the “Jiu Yi Guild Hall” was constructed, with each of the nine counties under Ji'an Prefecture building its own hall, each endowed with public fields to host scholars and literary friends from their respective counties. After fifty years of weathering, the guild hall fell into disrepair. In the fifth year of the Kangxi era (1666), Shi Runzhang, the governor of Huxi Circuit, initiated renovations. Upon hearing the news, scholars and local residents eagerly contributed funds and materials.

After another hundred years of vicissitudes, the Qingyuan Guild Hall deteriorated from neglect and eventually collapsed. To revive the teachings of Yangming, in the 19th year of the Daoguang era (1839), Lu Chunru, the magistrate of Ji'an, was the first to advocate for the establishment of the Yangming Academy. People from all walks of life generously donated funds, and the academy was built on the north side of Jingju Temple, facing the temple across a stream. It took three years to complete. The academy had three sections, covering an area of 12 mu, and was grand in scale. The second section was the “Chuanxin Hall,” which included four study rooms named “Zhidao,” “Jujing,” “Yiren,” and “Youyi.” The third section was the “Five Sages Shrine,” above which was built the “Kuixing Pavilion.” After the completion of the academy, efforts were made to “encourage donations to build a library and store books,” and outstanding students from the nine counties of Ji'an were selected to study there, promoting Confucian spirit and continuing the cultural legacy of Luling. In the 23rd year of the Daoguang era (1843), Liu Yi (courtesy name Zhan Yan, from Yongfeng County, who once served as Educational Commissioner of Shandong) was appointed as the first head of the Yangming Academy, where he taught for 30 years. The academy was discontinued in the final years of the Guangxu era due to the national policy of abolishing academies. From 1939 to 1948, the National Thirteenth Middle School relocated to Qingyuan Mountain, using parts of Jingju Temple and the academy as school buildings.