Zhēnyán Academy

　　 Zhēnyán Academy is situated at the foot of Yaohua Mountain, by the Zhi Stream, about 20 kilometers from the city center, in a very beautiful environment. It is now Yiyang Zhēnyán High School, formerly known as the First Middle School of Yiyang County. Its predecessor was Zhēnyán Academy, originally built in the third year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1853 AD), and it has a history of 150 years.

　　 The founder of Zhēnyán Academy, Hu Linyi, was born in Quanjiaohe, Yiyang. He was a prominent statesman of the Qing Dynasty’s revitalization period, a renowned leader of the Xiang Army, and served as the governor of Hubei. The leaders of the Xiang Army, Zeng Guofan and Zuo Zongtang, also provided financial support for the construction of Zhēnyán Academy. The name “Zhēnyán” (literally “Admonishing Words”) was chosen in memory of Hu Linyi’s father, Hu Dayuan, who was a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty. Hu Dayuan authored a book titled Disciples’ Admonishing Words, which teaches students how to conduct themselves and achieve success in life and career. Over the past hundred years, Zhēnyán Academy has nurtured over 30,000 outstanding talents for Yiyang. Since the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977, the school has flourished once again, maintaining a college admission rate of over 90% for 27 consecutive years—ranking first in the city—and has sent 35 students to Peking University and Tsinghua University. It is hailed as a “Century-old School and a Renowned School of Hunan.”

　　 Today’s Zhēnyán High School covers a campus area of 180 acres, with a building area of 35,000 square meters. It includes three teaching buildings that can accommodate 48 classes, four dormitory and apartment buildings housing 2,500 students, and six faculty dormitory buildings. There is also a modern comprehensive science and technology experimental building, indoor and outdoor sports fields with plastic track surfaces, and a library and reading building with a collection of over 60,000 books that can accommodate more than 400 readers. The teaching facilities are first-class. Currently, an off-site expansion project for Zhēnyán High School is underway in Changpoling Village, Longguangqiao Town, covering 388 acres with a total investment of about 100 million yuan. Upon completion, the school will have 90 classes and can accommodate 5,400 students. The expanded Zhēnyán High School will align with international standards and rank among the “Top 1,000 High Schools in China.”