Stele Inscribed with “Record of the Revival of Confucian Studies in Runyang County”

Stele Inscribed with “Record of the Revival of Confucian Studies in Runyang County”

The stele inscribed with “Record of the Revival of Confucian Studies in Runyang County” is located in Wuying Pagoda Park to the south of Runan County, recounting the emphasis placed on education by various levels of government during the Ming Dynasty and the process of reviving Confucian studies in Runyang County (now Runan County).

According to the Revised Gazetteer of Runing Prefecture, in the 12th year of the Hongwu reign (1379), Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict directing the Hanlin Academy and the Censorate to revive Confucian studies in Runyang County. The inscription reads: “Education is the means through which teaching is imparted; teaching is the way through which human nature is restored. Without schools, teaching cannot be carried out; without teaching, human nature cannot be restored. Therefore, schools must never be absent from any place.”

It also describes the restored condition of the Confucian school: “Any beams, pillars, roof tiles, or bricks that were warped, broken, or damaged in the hall have all been repaired with new ones; the painted decorations on the main hall that had peeled off have also been repainted. The outer gate, which previously used rotten wooden pillars, has now been replaced with stone ones.” Photo by Li Feng.