Majiazhou Academy

　　   In the history of Jingjiang, many academies were established, but the earliest, longest-standing, and most influential one was Majiazhou Academy. The current Majiazhou Academy is located within Jingjiang No. 1 High School.

　　   In the fourth year of the Jianyan era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1130 AD), over 300 years before Jingjiang County was founded, Majiazhou Academy was already established. It was built by Kong Yuanqian, the 51st-generation descendant of Confucius. Originally from Taixing, Kong later moved to Xisha in western Jingjiang. Noticing the lack of a place for study in the area, he funded the construction of an academy near the ancestral hall of the Kong family on Xisha, naming it “Majiazhou” after the alternate name for Matuosha. Later, Majiazhou Academy disappeared, and no historical records explain why. In the ninth year of the Chongzhen era during the Ming Dynasty (1636 AD), Chen Hanhui became the magistrate of Jingjiang. Two years into his term, he greatly expanded Ying’en Pavilion. He first built a memorial archway south of the fence, leading into a path lined with phoenix trees on one side and bamboo on the other, with a gated fence in the middle. Inside the gate were a bridge and a well; beneath the bridge was a release pond. To the east of the pond stood a stone sluice gate, which, when opened, allowed the tide from the Yangtze River to flow in. South of the sluice gate was a cave, and to the north of the bridge were five rooms. To the northeast was a pavilion named “Da’shi Pavilion.” This pavilion, standing more than 20 meters high by the pond, offered a panoramic view of the city, fields, and mountains. Following the pavilion westward were several other structures, including a building with a total of over 20 rooms, all interconnected by corridors. The surrounding area was enclosed by walls, with white walls and black tiles giving the complex a solemn and elegant look. It was a fully equipped academy. Because an earlier Majiazhou Academy had been built, and to honor its predecessors, Chen Hanhui gave this new institution the same name — “Majiazhou Academy.”

　　   Within a few years, Qing troops breached the Great Wall, and the Majiazhou Academy, painstakingly built by Chen Hanhui, was reduced to ruins in the war. In the 18th year of the Jiaqing era during the Qing Dynasty (1813 AD), due to riverbank collapse, the site of Chen Hanhui's Majiazhou Academy completely fell into the river. Around that time, descendants of Confucius built another academy at Yongning Bridge near Liupi Port in Xisha, also called Majiazhou Academy, but it too was soon destroyed. Thus, Majiazhou Academy was built and lost three times, becoming a regrettable chapter in history.

　　   In the 30th year of the Daoguang era during the Qing Dynasty (1850 AD), Jia Yiqian became the magistrate of Jingjiang. Learning about the fate of Majiazhou Academy, he was deeply moved. Out of reverence for its founders, he submitted a petition to higher authorities requesting that Zhengyi Academy be renamed Majiazhou Academy. Zhengyi Academy was located inside the southern gate of the city (now Jingcheng Middle School), established in the 10th year of the Qianlong era during the Qing Dynasty (1745 AD) by Magistrate Yang Fengtai. It had a total of 17 rooms: five for the front hall, five for the lecture hall, five for the rear hall, and two side rooms. In scale, it naturally could not compare with the one built by Chen Hanhui. In the 31st year of the Guangxu era (1905 AD), the government officially abolished the imperial examination system and mandated the establishment of modern schools. By then, the academy that had been renamed from Zhengyi to Majiazhou no longer existed. The county government thus built Jingjiang County Higher Elementary School on the old site.

　　   The main structure of Jingjiang County Higher Elementary School was a two-story building shaped like the Chinese character “口” (mouth), with a very unique design: the center was a square courtyard planted with phoenix trees, also known as the Phoenix Tree House. Both the ground and upper floors were surrounded by corridors, allowing people to move from room to room without being exposed to wind or rain. Due to its connection with Majiazhou Academy, it was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit in 1983. In 1984, as the building deteriorated over time, Jingcheng Middle School obtained approval from the county government to demolish it and construct a new cement structure designed in imitation of a palatial style, still called “Majiazhou Academy.” Though not a restoration of the original Majiazhou Academy, nor possessing the traditional architectural features or cultural relic value of the “口”-shaped building, it is nonetheless related to the history of Majiazhou Academy and remains worthy of preservation.