Man Chaojian Academy

Man Chaojian Academy

Originally named the Man Public Shrine, Man Chaojian Academy was renovated during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty by local villagers to commemorate the renowned Ming Dynasty official Man Chaojian. Located in Lanli Town, Mayang County, it sits 14 kilometers from the county seat. The academy was first built in the 33rd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1605 AD), boasting a history of nearly 400 years. Due to years of neglect and damage from floods, it has been repaired three times.

Situated by the Jinjiang River, the Grand Priest Shrine stands majestically by the water. This ancient architectural complex consists of three wooden structures. The Man Public Shrine is composed of a main gate, an opera stage, a passageway hall, the main hall, a rear hall, and side rooms. The entire building stretches from north to south, surrounded by enclosed fireproof brick walls made of blue bricks, with a central courtyard. It covers an area of about 750 square meters and features a neat layout. The main gate faces the Jinjiang River directly, while the main hall enshrines a statue of Man Chaojian. The passageway hall has two large stone pillars about four meters high and one meter in diameter standing opposite each other, with two giant dragons coiled around each pillar, leaping into the air and facing the opera stage across from them. Below are Sumeru pedestal stone statues, 0.7 meters high, which hold considerable artistic value. The side rooms on both sides display local Miao ethnic handicrafts and eighteen unique regional phenomena, known as the “Eighteen Oddities of Mayang.” Man Chaojian, a respected figure among the Miao people, was known for his lifelong hatred of evil and unyielding integrity. The *History of Ming* praises him for risking his life to resist tyranny, remaining unrepentant even in the darkest prisons, and lauds him as a “resolute official” with a “reputation for integrity and competence.”

The academy still houses over a hundred precious cultural relics left by Man Chaojian, including poems, essays, inscriptions, petitions, ceremonial tablets, his tomb, and calligraphy works by scholars and poets through the ages praising the Grand Priest. It is a sacred site for tourism in the Miao region. Man Chaojian once served as the magistrate of Xianning County in Xi'an, later rising to the position of Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Stables. He was known for his clean governance, hatred of evil, and uprightness, winning widespread support from the people. His stories are widely told in Hunan and Shaanxi, and he is regarded as the “Liu Luoguo” and “Afanti” of the Miao people in Mayang.

On April 28, 2001, the academy was officially opened to the public.