Haimen Lotus Peak Academy

Haimen Lotus Peak Academy

Haimen Lotus Peak Academy is a cultural relic protection unit of Guangdong Province.

Also known as the Loyalty and Virtue Shrine, Lotus Peak Academy is located at the northern foot of Zhongnan Mountain on the northwest side of the Lotus Peak Scenic Area, a famous historical site in the Chaoshan region. Facing south, it overlooks the main peak, Lotus Peak, and sits against the ancient Lotus Peak Temple, a renowned temple in eastern Guangdong. The main structure consists of two halls and two courtyards, measuring 30.2 meters in length and 12.9 meters in width. Since its establishment during the Ming Dynasty, it has been widely renowned, combining two functions in one. It serves both as a memorial shrine and an educational institution dedicated to nurturing talent, and was one of the four major academies in Chaoyang County during the Qing Dynasty. Out of reverence and remembrance for the loyal statesman Wen Tianxiang, it has been maintained and renovated multiple times over the past four hundred years. It is a well-preserved ancient building from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

According to the "Chaoyang County Annals" from the 40th year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty (1884): “Lotus Peak Academy, located south of Haimen Garrison City, was originally called the ‘Loyalty and Virtue Shrine.’ In the fourth year of the Daoguang reign (1824), Haimen Military Commander He Yuezong expanded it. In the fourth year of the Guangxu reign (1878), Acting Magistrate Zhang Xuan and Military Commander Feng Yaozu donated funds for repairs, and it began to employ a head instructor to conduct official lectures. (Note: The head instructor was appointed by officials, who paid an annual salary of 200 taels of silver to the Haimen Bureau, to be submitted quarterly. The stipends for students, totaling 120,000 coins, were covered by the income from bird-netting boats and weighing services.)”

In the late Southern Song Dynasty, when the Yuan army invaded, Wen Tianxiang raised troops in Jiangxi to serve the emperor and resist the Yuan, fighting across the southeastern coastal regions. In search of the emperor’s fleeing ship drifting at sea, he stationed his troops in Chaoyang and climbed Lotus Peak in the winter of 1278 to gaze toward the emperor’s vessel, leaving behind a legacy of loyalty. Later, the Yuan Dynasty recluse Zhang Lun’an came here, emulating the “lofty spirit of Shouyang,” making Lotus Peak a site where people pay tribute to loyalty and heroism. It became a retreat for Confucian, Taoist, and Buddhist scholars seeking seclusion from worldly affairs.

To commemorate the patriotic spirit of these loyal and virtuous figures, in the 22nd year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1594), Garrison General Jiang Yinglong of Haimen and recluse Wu Congzhou initiated the construction of a shrine at the “Cloud and Water Cottage” site on Zhongnan Mountain (originally the hermitage of Yuan Dynasty’s Zhang Lun’an and later the “Haijing Hall” where Ming Dynasty’s Wu Congzhou lectured). The shrine was named “Loyalty and Virtue Shrine” in honor of the “one loyal and one virtuous”—Song Dynasty Chancellor Wen Tianxiang and Yuan Dynasty recluse Zhang Lun’an. It underwent several renovations afterward.

As the reputation of Lotus Peak grew, by the fourth year of the Daoguang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1824), South China Sea Garrison Commander Pu Lixun, Chaoyang County Magistrate Wang Luxiang, and Haimen Military Commander He Yuezong expanded it into the “Lotus Peak Academy.” Its entrance couplet reads: “Enveloped by Lotus Peak, the Five Ridges’ winds and clouds sweep across the battlefield of calligraphy; facing the Lianghai Sea, its layered waves surge as the source of poetic inspiration.” A pillar couplet reads: “The academy was established due to this historic site; reflecting on the valor inscribed in songs, we realize that loyalty and filial piety shine forth in the literary works from this day forward (composed by He Yuezong, with the upper couplet missing).” On the birthdays of Wen Tianxiang (the second day of the fifth lunar month) and his martyrdom day (the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month), commemorative events were held annually to honor the six loyal and virtuous figures: Song Dynasty’s Wen Tianxiang, Yuan Dynasty’s Zhang Lun’an, Ming Dynasty’s Jiang Yinglong and Wu Congzhou, and Qing Dynasty’s Chen Mingkui and Li Xiangbin, who died defending against pirates.

“Seeing virtue in others and striving to emulate it” was the fundamental reason for establishing the academy here, and it also defined its educational ethos, making great contributions to nurturing local talent. As a result, “Spring Rain at the Academy” became one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Lotus Peak. By the fourth year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty (1878), Magistrate Zhang Xuan and Military Commander Feng Yaozu raised funds for another major renovation and hired the renowned scholar and selected scholar Zheng Anhuai to serve as the head instructor (his poetry is inscribed at Lotus Peak). In 1933, the president of the Lingdong Buddhist Association, Master Genkuan, raised funds to renovate the structure. Due to the vulnerability of traditional wooden structures to termite damage, a reinforced concrete roof was used. In 1981, the government allocated funds and additional donations from various sectors enabled another round of restoration.

In 1997, the government and the Lotus Peak Scenic Area Management Office funded a comprehensive renovation, restoring the site to its original Ming and Qing architectural style while incorporating traditional Chaoshan decorative features such as carved beams and painted rafters, giving it a renewed and resplendent appearance. More importantly, the academy houses many inscriptions and calligraphy works by national leaders and renowned artists, as well as two authentic ink works by Wen Tianxiang, whose dignified visage inspires solemn reverence among visitors.

“Lotus Peak upholds righteousness, Wen Tianxiang erects a monument.” Although Lotus Peak Academy has endured the vicissitudes of history, its charm remains undiminished. The “Spring Rain at the Academy” continues to nourish as it did before. As the saying goes, “Heaven rewards the just, and the human heart knows peace.” It stands forever accompanied by the ceaseless waves of the South China Sea, bearing the historical mission of promoting national integrity, and welcomes guests from all over the world with open arms.