Ancient academies thrive, as new generation's interest revived

The gate of Xianxian Academy, which is part of the building complex of Bailudong Academy in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province. (DUAN CHANGZHENG/FOR CHINA DAILY)

During students' winter vacation in late January, Bailudong Academy, located at the foot of Lushan Mountain in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, welcomed many young visitors.

Among them was 12-year-old Wang Jing, who along with her parents had traveled from Wuhan in neighboring Hubei province to visit the academy.

"Bailudong Academy was very famous in ancient times. We wanted to show our child how people studied in the past and what the study environment was like," said He Fang, Wang's mother.

Bailudong Academy, also known as White Deer Grotto Academy, is one of ancient China's four great academies, alongside Yuelu Academy in Changsha, Hunan province; Songyang Academy in Dengfeng, Henan province; and Yingtian Academy in Shangqiu, Henan.

Inside the institute, there is a small pavilion where students would hold discussions and study. The gap between the pavilion and the walls is very narrow, just wide enough for one person to pass through.

This passage served as a place for students to reflect on their mistakes. Wang and his parents passed through it and found it intriguing. "It's more fun here than I imagined. Our predecessors did not just sit in a classroom and study. Instead, many places here show me how they lived," Wang said.

The oldest building in the academy is the Lingxing Gate, built in 1467, with Zhuangyuan Bridge situated behind it.

A Zhuangyuan was someone who ranked as first class in the palace examination, the highest level of the Chinese imperial examination.

Many visitors cross this bridge to seek good luck in their exams, according to tour guide Zuo Jingjing.

The history of the academy can be traced back to before 1467, to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties.

In 785, scholar Li Bo and his brother Li She raised a clever white deer in seclusion, which fetched study materials for them, according to historical accounts. Years later, Li Bo, who became governor of Jiangzhou, named a valley after the deer to commemorate the brothers' hard work.

In 940, the valley's "kiosk" was transformed into a government-sponsored school, and by 1179 the academy had emerged as a renowned center of learning.

Zhu Xi, one of the most influential Confucian scholars, then revitalized the academy, turning it into a prominent educational institution that attracted notable scholars and produced outstanding graduates.

In those times, Bailudong Academy had a status equivalent to China's current top higher learning institutes, such as Tsinghua and Peking universities.

"The academy is a unique educational institution that served as a place for the dissemination of culture, academic exchanges, and talent cultivation in ancient China," said Yang Desheng, head of the academy's management committee.