Imperial College

Imperial College

The Imperial College, also known as the Confucian Temple or Academy, is located on the north side of Dongqinglian Street in the city. Originally built during the Song Dynasty, it was repeatedly damaged in wars over the following dynasties. It was renovated in the 10th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty (1884) and was listed as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1962. The architectural layout of the college features a screen wall at the front, with a Pan Pond on either side of the central axis inside the wall. A bridge spans the pond, and behind the bridge stand two memorial archways, the left one named Shengcheng (Holy City) and the right one Xian Guan (Sage’s Gate); next comes the Star Gate Tower with three bays, with the plaque on the east side gate reading “Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth,” and inside are the Local Sages Shrine and the Loyalty and Righteousness Shrine; further back are the Three-Bay Ji Gate, flanked by seven-bay Eastern and Western Side Halls, with the five-bay Grand Achievement Hall in the center serving as the main structure, inside which hangs a large plaque inscribed “Model Teacher for All Ages”; beyond that lies the three-bay Chongsheng Shrine. To the west of the college lies a separate courtyard, with a front gate and a three-bay ceremonial gate behind it, a three-bay Minglun Hall in the middle, and a Jingyi Pavilion at the rear. There are also over 40 other buildings within the courtyard. The site suffered damage during the Republican era. In 1958, it was successively occupied by the Materials Bureau, Health Bureau, Agricultural Machinery Company, Salt Industry Company, and Chengguan Minsheng Office. The Grand Achievement Hall was demolished in 1970. Currently, no original buildings of the college remain.

Source: Huaiyang Government Website