Heshan Academy

　　Heshan Academy is now Heshan Primary School. It was originally established as Jingzhou School by Wei Wenjing (Wei Liangong), Vice Minister of Works in the Song Dynasty. Wei Liangong (1178–1237), courtesy name Huafu and literary name Heshan, was a native of Pujiang in Qiongzhou (now part of Sichuan). He passed the imperial examination in 1198 (the fifth year of the Qingyuan era) and was appointed as a clerk in the Office of the Military Governor of Jiannan West Circuit. In 1205 (the first year of the Kaixi era), he was promoted to Corrector in the Palace Library. The following year, he was transferred to the position of Proofreader and later appointed Prefect of Jiaxing. He resigned to care for his parents and returned to his hometown, where he built a house at the foot of White Crane Mountain and began teaching students. In the early years of the Jiading era, he served as Prefect of Hanzhou. He also held positions as Prefect of Meizhou, Luzhou, and Tongchuan Circuit. In the early years of Emperor Lizong’s reign, he was impeached for deceiving the public and claiming undeserved fame, and was exiled to Jingzhou. Scholars from Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang came to study under him. In 1231 (the fourth year of the Shaoding era), he was reinstated. In 1232 (the fifth year), he was promoted to Preceptor of the Baizhang Pavilion and appointed Pacification Commissioner of Tongchuan Circuit and Prefect of Luzhou. After the death of Shi Miyuan, he was summoned to serve as Acting Minister of Rites and concurrently Academician of the Hanlin Academy. In 1235 (the second year of the Duanping era), he became Concurrent Signatory of the Privy Council, Supervisor of the Jinghu Military Forces, and Pacification Commissioner of Jianghuai. He ended his career as Prefect of Fuzhou and Pacification Commissioner of Fujian. He died in 1237 (the first year of the Jiapi era) at the age of 60 and was posthumously honored with the title “Wenjing” (Cultured and Tranquil). He is recorded in the History of the Song Dynasty. In the later Southern Song period, academic schools turned into factions and poetry circles into cliques, but Wei Liangong remained dedicated to classical studies and was equally renowned with Zhen Dexiu. His collected works, Heshan Quanji (Complete Works of Heshan), comprise 109 volumes, including three volumes of ci poetry, nineteen of which are birthday odes—an uncommon feature among Song dynasty poetry collections. Huang Sheng’s Zhongxing Yilai Juemiao Cixuan (Excellent Ci Poems Since the Revival, vol. 7) noted that “these birthday odes are all appropriately composed.” Zhang Yan’s Ciyuan (Origins of Ci Poetry, vol. 2) stated: “There is nothing more difficult than composing a birthday ode. If one focuses solely on wealth and honor, it becomes vulgar; if only on achievements, it turns flattering; if only on immortals, it gets far-fetched and absurd.”

　　Before 1958, Heshan Academy retained its original appearance. In 1966, the academy was destroyed, and the famous stone steles were smashed and used to pave roads. In 1979, the site was rebuilt as the auditorium of Heshan Primary School.

　　Information source: Jingzhou Chronicles Office