A Research On Ziyang Academy In Huizhou

Zhu Xi, as the prominent master of Neo-Confucianism in the Southern Song Dynasty, has a far-reaching influence on the integration process of the Academy and Neo-Confucianism, as well as the establishment of the Academy System. Huizhou is Zhu Xi’s Hometown, where he once returned to give lectures to the local people and disseminate his academic thoughts in his lifetime.After his death, Han Bu, the Prefecture Chief of Huizhou built Ziyang Academy at the Shexian South Gate (AD1246)to commemorate Zhu Xi, which is the oldest one in those Ziyang Academies.Compared with other Academies in Huizhou, Ziyang Academy possesses its own characteristics from the outset:built by the joint promotion of officials and local people, large-scaled with complete facilities and could be comparable with the public schools. Through the development of the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Ziyang Academy reached its peak in the mid-Qing Dynasty.Ziyang Academy has the functions of ritual, scholarly debate, study from lectures,and so on. In terms of ritual, it honors not only Zhu Xi, but also the scholars and officials with close relationship to the Academy,which shows the distinguishing feature of the Neo-Confucianism School.As to scholarly debate, it formed an integrated system after ups and downs in Qing Dynasty, which makes it the academic center of Huizhou. When it comes to the study content, it is undoubtedly about Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism, however, it began to cover the Stereotyped Writing(eight-part essays) since the mid-Ming period,which made the scholarism and the imperial examination go hand in hand.During the more than600-year-long history, Ziyang Academy has been supported by Huizhou officials, scholars, and merchants. Before Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the funds of Ziyang Academy were mainly from the donations of local officials and the rents of academy fields; While during Qianlong period, Huizhou Merchants become the main source of funds to Ziyang Academy. Besides, the funds management of Ziyang Academy gradually adopted a commercial operation called"pay providers interest-bearing". In the late Qing Dynasty, due to the decline of Huizhou Merchants and the effects of The war of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Ziyang Academy sunk into a decay.Influenced by Zhu Xi, Huizhou local culture and Huizhou Merchants, Ziyang Academy presents distinctive features. From the perspective of Ziyang Academy’s history, its development is inseparable from the support of local officials and people, especially the Huizhou Merchants,with whose help its scale can become second to none in Huizhou. Besides, Ziyang Academy has a close relationship with the vicissitude of Cheng and Zhu’s Neo-Confucianism and Wan School of Qing Dynasty, also the academic and cultural center of Huizhou area in the long term. And the case study of Huizhou Ziyang Academy is based on its specifics.