Shiyunxuan Academy in Chang Family Manor

Shiyunxuan Academy in Chang Family Manor

Shiyunxuan Academy is located on the north side of the middle section of the back street in Chang Family Manor. It is the largest academy among Chinese residences and is named after the rare treasure—the Shiyunxuan Calligraphy Stone Tablets. The academy is divided into a front courtyard and a rear courtyard. It was where the children of the Chang family studied. The front courtyard has an enclosed corridor-style structure, and the rear courtyard contains the library building. The front courtyard is composed of four pavilions and three corridors: the east corridor houses the "Tingyulou Calligraphy Tablets," the west corridor features the "Chang Family Esteemed Ink Calligraphy Tablets," and the central corridor displays the "Shiyunxuan Calligraphy Tablets." The south corridor in the rear courtyard showcases the "Calligraphy Tablets of Forty-Four Emperors and Empresses," all of which are treasures of Chinese calligraphy art.

The Chang family owns the largest academy among Chinese residences. Named "Shiyunxuan Academy," it is situated in the middle of the North Chang Back Street. This garden-style building served as a place for the Chang family to compose poetry, paint, cultivate their sentiments, and educate their children. The academy is mainly composed of three parts: the eastern courtyard, the western courtyard, and the main building at the front. Though divided into three sections, they are connected as one. The front courtyard consists of four pavilions and three corridors: the east corridor features the "Tingyulou Calligraphy Tablets," the west corridor displays the "Chang Family Esteemed Ink Calligraphy Tablets," and the central corridor exhibits the "Shiyunxuan Calligraphy Tablets"—all treasured artworks of Chinese calligraphy. Behind the Shiyunxuan Calligraphy Tablets lies the Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion with the "Calligraphy Tablets of Forty-Four Emperors and Empresses," all of which hold extremely high artistic and cultural value. The main structure at the front of the academy is the two-story "Tingyulou" with seven bays, inspired by Li Shangyin’s poetic line “Leaving withered lotus to listen to the sound of rain.” It was once a place where Chang family members composed poetry, painted, and studied history.

The courtyard is adorned with lush pines, cypresses, twisted locust trees, and sturdy bamboo. Seasonal flowers and plants complement the buildings, pavilions, corridors, and halls. Unique rocks are placed under the trees, and a clear pond is dug in the courtyard. Private schools, small studies, and the large academy are integrated into one, fully showcasing the scholarly and business-oriented spirit. It is within this cultural atmosphere, nourished by the profound and extensive Confucian business culture, that generations of exceptional talents from the Chang family stepped into society. Many became renowned business elites and academic figures admired worldwide.

On either side of the elegantly structured, uniquely shaped gate exuding an air of refined scholarship, the two characters "Xue Hai" (Sea of Learning) embedded in the surrounding wall are particularly eye-catching. Legend has it that these characters are the handwriting of Wang Xizhi, demonstrating his powerful brushstrokes that seem to penetrate the paper. "The sea of learning has no bounds; diligence is the boat." By prominently engraving these two characters on the academy's gate, the Chang family's intention is self-evident. Meanwhile, the four characters "Zhen Er Bu Liang" (Upright Yet Not Obstinate) on the lintel are from the Analects of Confucius, meaning that a true Confucian, while adhering to principles, should not be stubborn but should adapt to the tide of history. These four characters reflect the Chang family’s fundamental attitude toward Confucianism.

The surroundings of the front courtyard feature four halls and three corridors. The four pavilions are respectively named after phrases from the Analects of Confucius: "Neighbor of Virtue," "Aspire to the Way," "Learn and Reflect," and "Think Without Evil." They served as the music, chess, calligraphy, and painting pavilions for the Chang family’s children. The central corridor houses the invaluable calligraphy stone carving treasure—the "Shiyunxuan Calligraphy Tablets." These tablets were inscribed in the Jiaqing era by Du Datong, a hermit from Taigu in the Qing Dynasty, and carved on white marble. In addition to replicating the cursive script of Wang Xizhi and the regular scripts of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan in the three styles of the "Orchid Pavilion Preface," the centerpiece is Du Datong’s bold, elegant, majestic, and uniquely styled large plaque calligraphy. There are 35 plaques, each character measuring 25 cm square. Such a large-scale production of plaque calligraphy inscriptions was already rare in the Qing Dynasty during the Qianlong and Jiaqing eras. Its exquisite and graceful calligraphy craftsmanship not only shocked the world by breaking away from the conventional "clerical script style" of tablet inscriptions but also remains a rare treasure to this day. The Chang family named the academy "Shiyunxuan," showing the high regard they had for these tablets.

Address: Chang Family Manor, County Road 914, Yuci District, Jinzhong City

Type: Historical Architecture