Songyang Academy: More than a historic learning institution

Source: Chinadaily     2018-12-5

Songyang Academy, together with Yuelu Academy, Bailudong Academyand Yingtian Academy, represents the four major academies of ancient China. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Songyang Academy is located on the southern side of Songshan Mountain in Dengfeng city, Central China's Henan province.

According to records, the academy was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Songyang Academy is one of four major academies of ancient China, the others being Yuelu Academy in Hunan province, Bailudong Academy in Jiangxi province and Yingtian Academy in Henan province.

Songyang is famous for its rationalistic Confucian philosophical school. It was originally built for Buddhism activities, and then changed to a Taoism site by Emperor Sui Yang.

It was renamed Songyang Academy by Emperor Song Renzong in 1035. Since then, it has been a place for eminent scholars to teach. Famous academics in the Song Dynasty, such as Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Sima Guang, Fan Zhongyan and Zhu Xi once lectured there.

A 4,500-year-old cypress tree, granted the title of Second Great General by Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, is a wonder at the Songyang Academy. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

It is worth noting there is a 4,500-year-old cypress tree, granted the title of Second Great General by Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24), an invaluable treasure seldom seen in the world.

Historically Songyang Academy was jointly an institution of Buddhism and Daoism at first, but later dedicated itself to Confucianism exclusively.

Chenghao and Cheng Xi, two great masters of the Luo School of Confucianism, spread their theories to hundreds of students there.

According to Gong Songtao, vice director of the China Academy Association, Songyang Academy was an institution of higher education in ancient China and is regarded as representative of Confucian culture.

"Since the academy was established, it acted as a teaching institution for over 1,000 years, and it is sad to see the academy has lost its original scale and reputation as times go by," Gong added. "In China's history, a large number of academies existed, but survivors only account for a smaller part of the total. Luckily, modern people are aware of the issue and are paying more attention to the revival of China's academies."

In recent years, Songyang Academy has held "one school, three lectures" cultural and educational activities; Bailudong Academy has conducted cultural exchanges with many universities; Erhu Academy has been committed to popularizing Chinese traditional culture to primary school students; Shigu Academy has become a place for local people to enjoy daily life and cultural activities and Yuelu Academy has enrolled 320 students to learn just like the ancients did.

"Only when China's academies' history and culture have been learned by more and more people, will people realize the great value of those ancient institutions and reaccept them little by little," said Deng Hongbo, a professor from Hunan University.