Nanning Xin Hui Academy

Nanning Xin Hui Academy

Nanning Xin Hui Academy is a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Xin Hui Academy is located at No. 42 Jiefang Road in Nanning, facing south with its back to the north. It was collectively funded and built by people from Xinhui County in Guangdong. Originally constructed in the early years of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated in the 23rd year of the Daoguang reign (1843). The current site measures 55 meters in length and 20 meters in width. It originally had three halls, two corridors, and one pavilion, but now only the three halls and two corridors remain. It is the best-preserved ancient building in Nanning and has been listed as an autonomous region-level cultural relic protection unit.

The academy has a rectangular floor plan, divided into front, middle, and rear halls, with courtyards separating the halls. The rear courtyard has corridors on both sides. The layout is rigorous and the lighting is ample. The halls are 14.2 meters wide in total and 55.2 meters deep, with each hall being 9 meters high. They feature a single-eave, flush-gable roof structure made of brick and wood, covered with green glazed tiles, with ridge-end ornaments in the shape of mythical fish (ao yu) and colorful painted bas-reliefs.

The front hall was relocated and rebuilt in the 21st year of the Republic of China (1932) due to road widening. In 1982, the roof ridge tiles were removed, and the hall was renovated again in 1987.

The middle hall is 14.5 meters deep, with a granite platform foundation that is 0.8 meters higher than that of the front hall. It has five stone steps, stone columns, and a post-and-lintel roof frame, with a rolled shed (juanpeng) at the front. Between the rafters and beams, there are inter-columnar bracket sets (dougong), showcasing a compact structure with exquisite carvings.

The rear hall has a basic structural layout similar to the middle hall, but without bracket sets on the beams. It is enclosed by walls on three sides. Its granite platform foundation is 0.9 meters higher than that of the middle hall, with seven stone steps, and drum stones (baogushi) on both sides of the raised walkways. The corridors on both sides between the middle and rear halls also use stone pillars and are topped with glazed tile roofs. The entire academy complex features a compact layout, varied heights, a solemn and classic elegance, and embodies the light, graceful style of ancient Lingnan architecture.