Taishan Academy

Taishan Academy

Taishan Academy is located on the western shore of Xingyun Lake, about 5 kilometers north of the county town. Originally built as Taishan Temple in the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1644 AD), it originally had four main halls: the Guanyin Hall, Minglun Hall, Main Hall, as well as the God of Wealth Hall and the Pig God Hall, covering an area of 3,500 square meters. Hanging inside the temple is a plaque inscribed with “Taishan Academy,” written during the 21st year of the Guangxu reign by Gao Yaoyue from Xiangcheng, Henan. The academy grounds feature an ancient podocarpus tree with a gnarled, majestic trunk — one of the largest in southern Yunnan. It was designated as an ancient tree during the Kangxi era, and its inscription is engraved on a stele in the temple. The buildings of the academy were entirely constructed atop a hill formed by accumulated sea snail shells, surrounded by seven small hills, creating a landscape known as “Seven Cloudy Hills Embracing the Moon.” Both inside and outside the buildings on the hill grow large, unembraceable trees of blue cedar and red lotus head, which serve as habitats for egrets. Locals also call Taishan “Egret Mountain.”

The mountain was historically known as Fupan Mountain, also called Luofu Mountain, and later renamed Mopan Mountain. Its summit is round and flat like the moon, encircled by seven small hills, which people in the past referred to as the Seven Stars Embracing the Moon. From the front of Zhongtai Mountain, one can gaze at Xingyun Lake, and from the back, the Seven Star Pagoda. The area is covered with overlapping snail shells, surrounded by flat land but rising in the center. Towering ancient trees create a beautiful landscape. In the first year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1644), more than ten monks from Henan, China, passed by Taishan while begging for alms. Impressed by the scenic beauty and unique terrain of Taishan, they identified it as an ideal place for developing Buddhism and decided to build a temple there for worship. They collected alms, raised funds, purchased timber, hired workers, and constructed the rear hall of Taishan Temple (the Three Stars Hall) as well as side halls including the “Pig God Hall,” “God of Wealth Hall,” “Dongyue Hall,” and “Ksitigarbha Hall,” which served as spaces for monks to chant scriptures, dine, and reside. As the number of monks gradually increased, they occupied the entire Luofu Mountain. In the 33rd year of the Kangxi era (1694), Taishan Temple was renovated, and three main halls were built next to the Ksitigarbha Hall, known as the “Main Halls.” On either side of the front porch of the main hall, two stone dragon pillars were erected. In the 18th year of the Guangxu reign (1892), Li Pushan from Yucun passed the imperial examination and became a county magistrate. When he returned to his hometown to visit his ancestors, he gathered local officials and residents to drive all the external monks away. The Yucun authorities used income from public fields to successively construct the Second Hall (Guanyin Hall) and the Third Hall (with the upper floor as the Confucius Hall and the lower floor as the Minglun Hall) along with adjacent wing rooms, as well as a garden. The rear hall (Third Hall) was turned into a Buddhist hall where Buddhist scriptures were preached by Yu Dingchuan from Yucun. The existing plaque inscribed with “Taishan Academy” was written in the 21st year of the Guangxu reign (1895) by Gao Zhaozhong, the educational commissioner of Yunnan Province (from Xiangcheng, Henan). This serves as evidence that the academy was established using the assets of Taishan Temple. In the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign (1896), the front hall of Taishan Temple and three wing rooms on each side were added, with a courtyard in the middle.

In the past, Taishan Academy was covered with towering ancient trees, adorned with plaques and couplets (including the extant plaque inscribed “South Shore” by Yang Jiashan), and filled with birdsong and flocks of egrets. Over time, the First Hall of Taishan Temple was renovated, while the dilapidated Second and Third Halls and their adjacent wing rooms were demolished and rebuilt. Existing ancient trees were preserved as much as possible. For many years, teachers and students of the vocational school have progressively carried out greening and beautification work throughout the entire Taishan Temple complex. Though the original appearance of the ancient Luofu Mountain can no longer be seen when ascending Taishan, one can still experience the charm of “Twin Dragons Nurturing Beauty, A Myriad Herbs Gathering Spirit.” Newly planted cherry blossoms, weeping willows, cedar trees, cypresses, and lawns have added further beauty to this ancient academy.