Lianchi Academy

Lianchi Academy

Lianchi Academy was built in the 11th year of the Yongzheng reign (1733) by the Zhili Governor Li Wei upon imperial decree. The lotus pond gained fame because of the academy, while the academy became widely renowned due to the beautiful gardens of the pond, which attracted scholars and promoted education.

Lianchi Academy was the highest educational institution in Zhili during the Qing Dynasty. As an official educational body dedicated to spreading traditional Confucian culture and cultivating scholar-officials of both literary talent and moral integrity, it received significant attention from the Qing court. Emperor Qianlong visited the academy four times, bestowing plaques and composing poems to encourage teachers and students. The academy not only gathered eminent scholars but also produced many outstanding talents. Renowned masters such as Yin Huiyi, Zhang Xu, Wang Shihan, Zhang Xuecheng, Shao Ying, Qi Yunshi, He Qiutao, Wang Zhengang, Huang Pengnian, Zhang Yuzhao, and Wu Rulun all taught here. The academy also produced high-ranking officials such as Bi Yuan, Wang Fagui, Liu Ruozeng, Feng Guozhang, Fu Zengxiang, and Zhang Ji, as well as literary talents like He Tao, Li Jinglian, Gu Zhongxiu, Liu Chunlin, Wang Shunan, Li Gangji, Jia Enfu, Gao Buying, Wu ?sheng, and Miyajima Daihachi (from Japan). Huang Pengnian expanded the school buildings and increased the collection to over 30,000 volumes. Zhang Yuzhao and Wu Rulun advocated for Western learning, pioneering a historical precedent. They reformed the teaching system, introduced innovative educational philosophies, offered classical studies, promoted practical and modern learning, incorporated advanced Western scientific knowledge, opposed the imperial examination system, and engaged in academic exchanges between China and foreign countries. They initiated a new era of thought, earning national acclaim and resonating even in Japan. The monument commemorating the teacher-student relationship between Zhang Yuzhao and Miyajima Daihachi in the West Courtyard stands as historical evidence. It is no exaggeration that contemporary and later literati praised Lianchi Academy as the “treasury of northern culture.” Therefore, when Chairman Mao Zedong visited the Ancient Lotus Pond in 1952, he said: “Lianchi is famous because of Lianchi Academy, which was very well known across the nation at the time.”

Here lies the famous Lianchi Academy Calligraphy Collection, including Tang Dynasty Chu Suiliang’s Thousand Character Classic, Yan Zhenqing’s Thousand Character Stele, Huaisu’s Autobiographical Scroll, Song Dynasty Mi Fu’s Hong County Poem, Yuan Dynasty Zhao Mengfu’s Shushan Picture Song, and Ming Dynasty Dong Qichang’s Cloud-Hidden Mountain House Inscription and Calligraphy on Li Bai’s Poem—six masters’ works in eight styles, totaling 51 horizontal stone tablets. The Lianchi Academy Calligraphy Collection gathers masterpieces from six of China’s most distinguished calligraphers throughout history, showcasing diverse artistic styles.