Ziyang Academy

Ziyang Academy

Ziyang Academy is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Ziyang Academy is located in the eastern part of Mianzhu city proper and was first built in the third year of the Yanyou reign during the Yuan Dynasty (1316), its grand scale being unprecedented in Shu.

Among those whom the people of Mianzhu take pride in are Yang Rui, one of the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days’ Reform, and his cousin Yang Cong, who both studied and taught here. When Yang Cong served as the headmaster of Ziyang Academy during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty, he composed several couplets to inspire students; these were carved on the main gate of the academy’s central hall. From these couplets, we can also glimpse the long history and dramatic changes of the academy. One of them reads: “This academy has stood for five hundred years. Since the time of Yanyou, learning and recitation have flourished here, matching the renowned White Deer Cave Academy; the pond here spans sixty zhang, situated at the former site of the Yuwen family — so why compare this bridge to that of the Goose Lake Academy?” This refers to how, over six hundred years ago, the academy boasted an impressive scale and influence, its fame ranking alongside the world-famous White Deer Cave Academy and Goose Lake Academy. Another couplet states: “Ever since Yan Junping chose this place for his home, the ancient well remains, echoing thoughts of virtue and contemplation. With the ‘Yi Zhuan’ (Book of Changes) passed down through generations, Ziyang carries on that legacy. In the past, Prime Minister Zhang studied here; the lofty ideals of the mountains are not far. May today’s scholars follow those noble predecessors, and may your contributions to the Great Wall of civilization not be outshone by those who came before.” This couplet captures both the unique features of the academy and its storied history.

The predecessor of this academy was the study retreat of Zhang Jun, a famous general who resisted the Jin and a "revitalizing virtuous chancellor" of the Southern Song Dynasty. The original site was located twenty li north of Mianzhu city on Ziyun Rock, now known as Wuying Hall on Jiulong Mountain. With its dark cliffs and verdant surroundings, the place was tranquil and secluded—it also happened to be the residence of Zhang Jun’s son, the renowned Southern Song Neo-Confucian scholar and Master Nanyuan, Zhang Shi. After Zhang Jun passed away, in memory of this diligent and benevolent chancellor, Grand Master of Ceremonies Zhao Shiyuan donated funds to construct an academy here. Since Zhang Jun called himself "Mr. Ziyang," after the completion of the building, the imperial court bestowed upon it the official name “Ziyang Academy.”

It was not until the early Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty that the academy was relocated to the current site of Mianzhu Middle School. Later, it underwent repairs or expansions, but was completely destroyed amidst the chaos of warfare in the late Ming Dynasty. Starting from the forty-eighth year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1709), the academy endured many upheavals, was moved several times, and underwent frequent name changes — including “Jingxuan Academy,” “Jinxī Academy,” and “Yuebo Academy.” It wasn’t until the twenty-third year of the Jiaqing reign (1818) that it was moved back to its present location and regained the name Ziyang Academy. Subsequent maintenance restored much of its former scale. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, when the imperial examination system was abolished and modern education introduced, the academy was transformed in the twenty-third year of the Guangxu reign (1897) into Mianzhu County Junior Middle School. In 1949, it was officially named Sichuan Mianzhu Middle School by the Provincial Education Department.

Within the academy grounds lies the “Moonwave Well,” dug by the famous philosopher Yan Junping during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty. Legend says that during dawn’s glow or clear moonlit nights, waves ripple on the water’s surface, thus giving the well its name. There is also a legend that this well connects to the Ascension Well on Mount Wudu in Mianzhu. Yan Junping lived here in seclusion while cultivating Taoist practice. Each morning, he would travel underground from the Ascension Well to Chengdu, sell radishes on Junping Street, then visit the Yan Jun Pavilion in Chengdu to tell fortunes, earning a hundred coins by dusk before returning.

The “Zhizhi Pavilion” was, according to records, built during the Jiayou reign of the Northern Song Dynasty by Yuwen Zhishao, a Jinshi (successful imperial examinee). He once served as the magistrate of Qushui County in Wenzhou. Together with Zhang Jun and Yang Hui, he is known as one of the Three Worthies of Mianzhu in the Song Dynasty. At the age of forty, he resigned from office and returned to Mianzhu to live in seclusion and devote himself to scholarship. Since he called himself Zhizhi, the pavilion he built upon retirement was named “Zhizhi Pavilion.” The original pavilion’s whereabouts are unknown; the one we see today was rebuilt during the Republican era in his memory.

The Lake Bridge was built in the fourth year of the Shaoding reign of the Southern Song Dynasty (1231) by Yuwen Xishu Dong, the then magistrate of Mianzhu, in honor of Zhang Jun and his son Zhang Shi. It was originally not located within Ziyang Academy, but was moved here during the later relocation of “Zhizhi Pavilion.”

The Huaiyang Pagoda in the campus was first built during the Yuan Dynasty, originally named Wenfeng Pagoda or Tongqing Tower. It was destroyed in the late Ming Dynasty. The current structure was built in the fourth year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1865). Standing 27 meters tall with walls about one meter thick and 13 stories, the pagoda was renamed Huilan Pagoda in the same year due to a local legend. According to an inscription, flooding from the Ma Wei River was unusually fierce that year, and people believed it was caused by the Dragon King causing trouble. To appease the dragon and encourage it to return to its palace, the pagoda was renamed roughly meaning “Turn Back the Waves.”

Read More:

· Ninth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units