Zhushui Academy

Zhushui Academy

Zhushui Academy is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Originally named the Hall of the First Teachers, Zhushui Academy is located 4 kilometers northeast of Qufu City. It is a sacred site of Confucianism and the origin of Confucian culture.

Located 4 kilometers northeast of Qufu City in Shandong Province, Zhushui Academy is named after its position south of the Zhu River and north of the Si River. It is said to be where Confucius edited texts and taught students, and later became a place for commemorating and worshipping Confucius. After returning to Lu following his travels across the states, Confucius edited the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, established rituals and music, annotated the Book of Changes, and taught disciples here. From the Han Dynasty to the Song and Jin Dynasties, it was known as the Lecture Hall; during the Yuan Dynasty, it was renamed Zhushui Academy. In 1337 (the third year of the Zhiyuan era of the Yuan Dynasty), halls, chambers, gates, and corridors were rebuilt on the site of the old lecture hall, and it was renamed Zhushui Academy, with a headmaster appointed to oversee worship. In 1494 (the seventh year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty), it was renovated. Legend has it that Confucius, on his return from Wei to Lu, edited the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, completed the rituals and music, and compiled ancient texts here. It was formerly called the Lecture Hall of Confucius. In the early Yuan Dynasty, the lecture hall had already been destroyed, “with its foundation overgrown with crops.” In 1337 (the third year of the Zhiyuan era)...

Kong Keqin, the 55th-generation descendant of Confucius and then magistrate of Qufu County, funded the reconstruction on the site of the old lecture hall. Given that “the Si River flows to its north and the Zhu River borders its south,” and that this area between the two rivers was where Confucius lectured, it was renamed Zhushui Academy, with a headmaster assigned to preside over it. In 1494 (the seventh year of the Hongzhi era of the Ming Dynasty), the Duke of Confucius, Kong Hongtai, used surplus funds from renovating the Confucius Temple in Qufu to renovate the academy. In 1507 (the second year of the Zhengde era), the headmaster’s position was changed to that of a National University academic recorder, ranking at the ninth level. In 1506, the academy’s main gate was destroyed during the peasant uprising led by Liu Liu and Liu Qi. In 1523 (the second year of the Jiajing era), the gate was rebuilt and repairs were carried out. A major renovation took place in 1627 (the seventh year of the Tianqi era). Further renovations occurred in 1651 (the eighth year of the Shunzhi era) and 1656 (the thirteenth year of the Shunzhi era) of the Qing Dynasty, in 1699 (the thirty-eighth year of the Kangxi era), and in 1734 (the twelfth year of the Yongzheng era). Later, in 1849 (the twenty-ninth year of the Daoguang era), during the Republican era, and again in 1988, further repairs were made, including the rebuilding of the surrounding wall.

The academy stretches 136 meters from north to south and 99.4 meters from east to west. It has a spirit path 193.4 meters long and 30.35 meters wide, covering a total area of 1.9388 hectares. The architecture is divided into three sections: the eastern section has a changing room; the western section features a ceremonial ware storage in front and a sacred kitchen and pantry in the back; the central section consists of two courtyards, with a main gate, lecture hall, Dacheng Hall, and side halls. All buildings in the courtyard were constructed during the Ming Dynasty and renovated in the Qing Dynasty. Structures include the lecture hall, Dacheng Hall, side halls, and stone steles from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Towering ancient cypresses fill the compound, offering a serene, secluded, and lush environment. Stepping into this tranquil, overgrown ancient academy brings a unique sense of charm. The main gate has three bays, spanning 12.09 meters in width and 6.91 meters in depth. The central bay has a door, with a single-eave gray-tiled gable-and-hip roof, a five-rafter three-pillar partitioned wooden frame, and a bracket set under the eaves using one-dou-two-rises intersecting hemp-leaf brackets, with two bracket sets per bay. The Dacheng Hall has five bays, spanning 25.80 meters in width and 12.15 meters in depth, with a single-eave green-tiled gable-and-hip roof, standing 10.20 meters high. It uses a seven-rafter front-and-rear corridor-style wooden frame, with a front corridor. The bracket set under the eaves uses one-dou-two-rises intersecting hemp-leaf brackets, with two bracket sets per bay. The hall enshrines Confucius, the Four Companions, and the Twelve Philosophers. The side halls each have three bays on the east and west sides, with a single-eave gray-tiled gable-and-hip roof, a five-rafter lifted-beam wooden frame, a front corridor, and no bracket sets. The lecture hall has three bays, spanning 11.70 meters in width and 6.52 meters in depth, with a five-rafter lifted-beam wooden frame and no bracket sets, exhibiting Qing Dynasty style, and a single-eave gray-tiled gable-and-hip roof. The central bay has doors on both the north and south sides, the side bays have windows on the south and walls on the north. The stone bases of the front and rear pillars in the central bay feature full lotus petal reliefs, which are relics from the Yuan Dynasty. Inside, there remains a plaque from Zhushui Academy’s memorial archway, originally located on the spirit path in front of the academy. The archway was built in 1524 (the third year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty) but was destroyed, leaving only the plaque.

Academy Village: The village has a total of 1,452 residents, 368 farming households, and 1,021 mu of arable land. The village has a two-committee leadership team consisting of six members (three Party branch committee members and three village committee members), with 56 Communist Party members. In 2011, the per capita income of farmers was 8,156 yuan.

Following the 2011 village Party branch and village committee election, the Party branch committee consists of six members (all elected with high votes). The village has a collective income of 30,000 yuan and a 900-square-meter village committee compound that serves as an activity venue.

Villagers generally believe that the current village “two committees” leadership team is proactive, united, and driven by ambition and responsibility… More details about Academy Village++

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Shandong Province

· First Batch of Municipal Cultural Relic Protection Units in Jining City