Qianshan Jinshi Tower

Qianshan Jinshi Tower

[Ancient Academy of Weng’an • Qianshan Jinshi Tower]

The imperial examination was a system used by feudal dynasties throughout history to select officials through tests. Because it involved selecting scholars by subject, it came to be called the imperial examination. The system was first implemented in the third year of the Daye era of the Sui Dynasty (607 AD) and continued until the thirtieth year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1904 AD), when the final imperial examination for jinshi degree was held, spanning more than 1,300 years.

Taking the imperial examination system of the Qing Dynasty as an example, the formal examinations were divided into three levels: the provincial exam (xiangshi), the metropolitan exam (huishi), and the palace exam (dianshi).

The provincial exam was the test for the juren (recommended man) degree, usually held once every three years in the provincial capital, also known as the "great competition." Those who passed the provincial exam were called juren, with the top scorer being named the jieyuan, and the second to tenth scorers called "yayuan." Juren were essentially reserve officials; passing the exam qualified them as candidates for official positions, though typically at lower ranks, mostly below the level of county magistrate.

After the provincial exam came the metropolitan exam, which was taken by juren. Those who passed were called gongshi, with about 300 such spots available each year. After the metropolitan exam, there was also the jinshi exam, which included the metropolitan exam, the retest, and the palace exam. The term "jinshi" first appeared in the "Rites of Zhou • Royal Regulations," referring to those eligible for noble rank and salary, and was adopted by successive dynasties after the Sui Dynasty. Those who passed the metropolitan exam, retest, and palace exam became jinshi. Among these, the palace exam was personally administered by the emperor in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, with gongshi as participants. Those who passed were collectively called jinshi. The palace exam was divided into three tiers, with the top tier admitting three individuals: the first place winner, commonly known as the zhuangyuan (number one scholar), the second place winner, known as the bangyan (number two scholar), and the third place winner, known as the tanhua (number three scholar), collectively referred to as the "Three Top Scholars." The jinshi degree was the highest level of the imperial examination system, and those who earned it could directly become officials, with the lowest rank being at level 7—above the county magistrate level. Many important court officials were also selected from among the jinshi. The jinshi degree was the highest academic honor in the imperial examination system, and the title of "zhuangyuan," awarded to the top scorer, became synonymous with achieving the highest honor, a term that has persisted to this day. Anyone who ranked first in either the arts or science exams was called a "zhuangyuan."

The imperial examination system in Guizhou had a rather tortuous history. Guizhou only began implementing the imperial examination system in the early Ming Dynasty. Initially, Guizhou did not have its own examination site, so Guizhou students had to travel to Sichuan to take the exams. Later, they were required to go to Yunnan. Due to the great inconvenience for Guizhou students traveling to neighboring provinces for exams—and the fact that a significant number of economically disadvantaged candidates simply could not afford the long journey—the impact on Guizhou’s economic, social, and cultural education development was substantial. As a result, local officials in Guizhou repeatedly petitioned the imperial court, requesting the establishment of a separate examination site in Guizhou to select scholars through exams, but their requests were consistently denied. The court refused on the grounds that "old systems cannot be changed." It was not until the 14th year of the Jiajing era (1535 AD) that the court officially approved the separate administration of provincial exams in both Yunnan and Guizhou. Thereafter, the number of schools in Guizhou—including prefectural, garrison, county, and community schools—continued to increase, and the number of people taking the imperial exams grew steadily. In the 123 years between the establishment of Guizhou Province (1413 AD) and the 15th year of the Jiajing era (1536 AD), before the exams were opened in Guizhou, only about 540 juren and 40 jinshi were produced in the region. However, in the 367 years from the 16th year of the Jiajing era (1537 AD), when Guizhou began administering its own exams, to the 30th year of the Guangxu era (1905 AD), Guizhou experienced a golden age with "six thousand juren and seven hundred jinshi," reaching remarkable heights.

Qianshan Jinshi Tower is the first and only remaining jinshi tower in Guizhou. Located in the ancient town area of Caotang, it is a grand five-story structure with upturned eaves and flying corners, making it extremely magnificent. The building covers a construction area of 2,286 square meters, with dimensions of 25.2 meters in length, 25.2 meters in width, and 26 meters in height. Its beams and columns feature mortise-and-tenon joints, and it showcases the unique “misaligned ‘品’-shaped flying eaves” craftsmanship, with 24 upturned corners, eight angles and four peaks, a spiral caisson ceiling. The overall architecture is tall and majestic. The interior is adorned with exquisitely crafted reliefs, wood carvings, brick carvings, and stone engravings, featuring themes such as ancient opera characters, auspicious animals, flowers, birds, insects, and fish. It is a Huizhou-style building with extremely fine carvings.

Qianshan Jinshi Tower is actually an ancient academy of Weng’an and also the birthplace of Weng’an’s culture. Thanks to Weng’an’s profound historical and cultural foundation, along with the cultivation provided by the Qianshan Jinshi Tower Academy, Weng’an has produced generations of scholars whose prosperity has drawn worldwide attention. According to incomplete statistics, over the dynasties, Weng’an produced over 800 xiucai (licentiates), 110 juren, and 19 jinshi, as well as over 500 contemporary doctors and professors. Nearly 1,000 students have been admitted to prestigious higher education institutions such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, consistently ranking first among counties and districts in Guizhou. During the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, the remarkable phenomenon known as the “Three Hanlin Scholars in One Reign” occurred, where three members of the Wang family from Weng’an—Wang Shijun, Wang Mengxu, and Wang Mengyao—served as officials in the same dynasty, all holding the position of Hanlin academician. This rare event in officialdom history is called “One Reign, Three Hanlins.”

Weng’an Caotang Millennium Ancient Town

Ancient Town Grand Theater

Qishan Academy