Yuelu Mountain's Ye Hou Academy

Yuelu Mountain's Ye Hou Academy

There are two Ye Hou Academies on Mount Heng in Nanyue. One is at the foot of the mountain, and the other is at the top. The one at the foot was originally built at the foot of Jixian Peak and was reconstructed during the Baoying era of the Song Dynasty (1225–1227) by Transport Commissioner Zhang Sike on the site of the former Nanyue Academy. Since the old academy was built by Li Fan in memory of his father, Ye Hou Li Bi, it was named after Ye Hou as the academy’s name. In the fifth year of the Zhi Zheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1345), Xiangshan County Magistrate Zhao Zhong and Chief Clerk Li Boyuan oversaw its renovation. In the early Ming Dynasty, due to war and chaos, the academy fell into complete disrepair. It was renovated again in the thirteenth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1534) and was subsequently renamed Jixian Academy. It no longer exists.

The other one is the Ye Hou Academy on the mountain, originally located at the foot of Yanxia Peak. This site was once the retreat of Tang Dynasty Prime Minister and Ye Hou Li Bi, known as Duanjushi, situated in a valley about 1.5 kilometers below and to the right of the current Ye Hou Academy. It housed a vast collection of books, as attested by Han Yu’s verse: “The Ye Hou family owned many books, with shelves holding thirty thousand scrolls.” In the winter of the third year of the Qiandao era of the Song Dynasty (1167), Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi visited the remnants of Yanxia and composed poems in memory. By the Song Dynasty, Duanjushi had become a ruin. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Li Tianzhi, the regional inspector of Hengbao, built the "Mingdao Mountain House" to the right of the former site of Ye Hou’s Duanjushi retreat on Yanxia Peak. It featured two gate pillars, six main hall pillars, and small wing rooms, providing a place where “one could admire the spirit of Ye Hou and follow the legacy of the sages.” He wrote a record himself, expounding on the idea that “in exploring the universe, only human nature is supreme.” In the ninth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1744), Dexiu, the magistrate of Hengshan, restored the old Mingdao Mountain House built by Li Tianzhi on Yanxia Peak, established a free school there, and renamed it “Ye Hou Academy,” marking the first appearance of a Ye Hou Academy on Yanxia Peak. However, the free school was located deep in the mountains. Though the scenery was serene, the location was too remote for convenient study, so it gradually faded into obscurity. By the sixteenth year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1870), local resident Chen Zhi and Dai Xinkui, head of the Jixian Academy, visited the former site of the Ye Hou Academy on Yanxia Peak and petitioned the authorities to rebuild the academy. But because the original site was isolated and the mountain terrain was rugged, they decided to rebuild it at a flatter area on the left branch of Yanxia Peak, next to the ancient Shoufo Temple — the present site — and still called it the Ye Hou Academy. By this time, however, it served purely as a memorial to Ye Hou Li Bi, without any other academic functions. The existing structure was built in 1932. At that time, Bin Fengyang composed a couplet: “Though thirty thousand scrolls of books are gone, step inside to reflect on the esteemed prime minister; though nine thousand zhang of misty peaks remain unchanged, lean on the railing to gaze upon the ancient Yanxia.”

The Ye Hou Academy on the mountain is the only relatively well-preserved academy building remaining in Nanyue. The mountain gate is of a double-flower style, with red walls and yellow tiles, and features a central plaque inscribed with four characters: “Ye Hou Academy.” Outside the hanging flower gate, ancient trees tower and twist together, creating an extremely elegant and tranquil atmosphere. Passing through the hanging flower gate, there is a round doorway, flanked by walls, all with red walls and yellow tiles, resplendent and magnificent. Beyond the round doorway lies an open space, with the Ye Hou Academy standing to the left. The present Ye Hou Academy consists of just a single row of five stone chambers, with stone walls and gray tiles, featuring a flush-gable roof style — very simple, yet retaining an ancient aesthetic. Inside the stone rooms, there are neither book collections nor historical materials for viewing. In the center stands a statue of Li Bi, surrounded by paintings depicting stories and anecdotes about Ye Hou, and it is also common to see people come here to burn incense and offer worship.

Outside the stone rooms, two huge stones are symmetrically erected on the open flat ground, inscribed with poems handwritten by Guo Moruo during his visit to the Ye Hou Academy: “In the Central Plains, dragons battle, blood staining the earth; victory and achievement await self-strength. For now, I entrust my passion to landscapes, temporarily channeling my remaining energy into expressing my heart. Clouds stretch across ten thousand li, long tassels unfurl; sunlight bathes a thousand peaks, iron cavalry charges forth. Yet the relics of Ye Hou still remain; when the invaders are pacified, I’ll ascend the study hall once more.”

In the open space, several ancient pines and cypresses are scattered about. The stone benches under the ancient pines and cypresses make for an excellent spot to read. Surrounded by dense woods and the sound of pine waves, it is indeed a serene place for reading and cultivating one’s character.

Li Bi (722 – April 1, 789), courtesy name Changyuan, was a native of Jingzhao (modern-day Xi'an, Shaanxi). His ancestral home was in Xiangping, Liaodong (modern-day Liaoyang, Liaoning). He was a renowned Daoist scholar, politician, and strategist of the mid-Tang Dynasty, and the sixth-generation descendant of Li Bi of the Western Wei’s “Eight Pillars of State” during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. He served through the reigns of Emperors Xuanzong, Suzong, Daizong, and Dezong, and was the first hermit bestowed favor by Nanyue. During the Tianbao era, he discussed governance strategies from Mount Song and deeply impressed Emperor Xuanzong, who appointed him as a Hanlin academician awaiting imperial summons and an advisor to the Eastern Palace. Later, he was envied by Yang Guozhong and withdrew to live in seclusion in famous mountains. When An Lushan rebelled and Emperor Suzong ascended the throne in Lingwu, he summoned Li Bi to participate... [More details on Li Bi]++