Huang Yizhou (1828- 1899), a famous Confucian scholar in Qing Dynasty, said in On the History of Academy that today's academy is the place where the ancient emperors collected books, and the scholars who graduated from it are the lecture halls of Chinese, which is the power of academy. Its name actually began with Li Zheng in the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty (Li Zheng Academy was established in the 6th year of Kaiyuan). Li Zheng, formerly known as Xiushu Academy, is an old temple in Gan Yuan and later changed to Jixian Temple Academy. In Song Dynasty, there were four academies: Bailu, Shigu, Yuelu and Yingtianfu. Their land is not in the province, but they are given books by the son of heaven, so they are called academies.
In the early Ming Dynasty, the government only attached importance to official studies and advocated imperial examinations, so the academy was dispensable, which was also reflected in the cultural relics of the Ming Dynasty. A large number of Kyrgyz words related to the imperial examination have appeared, such as "five sons entering the exam" and "number one scholar". In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the imperial examination became increasingly decadent, education was sparse, and official learning gradually became a vassal of the imperial examination. Some neo-Confucianists set up more academies to give lectures in order to eradicate the disadvantages of the times, so the academies gradually flourished, but they soon flourished and were abolished. In this regard, Wang Fuzhi (16 19- 1692), an outstanding enlightenment thinker and materialist in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, said in his book On Academies in the Song Dynasty that the rise of academies was to meet the requirements of historical development, not only to make up for the shortcomings of imperial academy, but also to save the decline of county schools, which was very beneficial to governance. Destruction of academies was forbidden in the Ming Dynasty.
Academy has developed into a formal learning form in Qing Dynasty. The Qing government was afraid that the people would "get together as apprentices and talk about abolishing business" in the form of academies. Therefore, most of the academies were official schools. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial examinations were abolished and the academies were changed into schools.
The establishment of academies in Xiangyang Prefecture and counties under its jurisdiction began to be gradually implemented in Yuan Dynasty and reached its peak in Qing Dynasty. According to the Records of Xiangyang Prefecture and the Records of Xiangfan Education, from Yuan Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, there were 2/kloc-0 academies in Xiangyang Prefecture and its counties (excluding private schools), including Ruquan Academy (east of the prefecture), Xiangyang Academy (now in the courtyard of Xiangyang Municipal Party School and Xiangyang Administrative College) and Xianshan Academy (west of the prefecture). There was Longzhong Academy in Xiangyang County (west of Longzhong). The scale and reputation of Xiangyang Lumen Academy are above many academies in Xiangyang. According to local records, Lumen Academy is located in the north gate of Xiangyang City. Yongzheng 12 (1734) in Qing Dynasty defended Lu Zhi-yu and converted it into an experimental school. Formerly known as Jingnan Academy. The academy is divided into two east walls and two west gardens, 33 study rooms, upper and lower kitchens 17 rooms, and books 1 rooms. There is Kuixing Pavilion in the west, Confucius statue in the vertical, Wenxi Pavilion in the east, Shouqi Hall in front and Jingxing Hall in the back. In the ninth year of Guangxu (1883), Taoist Huang Pengnian donated 1.2359 million volumes, which were placed on the left side of Jingxing Hall, and stipulated that reading rules should be set up, with two directors in charge.
In addition to the official academies in Xiangyang, a number of private academies emerged in Fancheng, an ancient port. Most of them were founded by using the funds and places of the guild hall, thus forming a prosperous educational pattern in Xiangyang and Fancheng. These private colleges are: Huangzhou College (Huangzhou Guild Hall) located on the north side of the intersection of Fancheng Jiaotong Road and Majie Street, and Qi 'an College (Xiaohuangzhou Guild Hall) located in Xiatou and Chenlao Lane, Qian Jie, Zhongshan. Qi 'an Academy was built by eight families: Zhou, Yu, Deng and How in Huanggang, Hubei. There are Hanyang Academy in Hanyang Academy Lane, Zhongshan City, Qian Jie and Longmen Academy founded by Hancheng Hall in Ailongsi Lane. Zou Yancun, a cultural old man in our city, wrote the book "Old Site of Longmen Academy" for the Academy in order to inherit the academy culture, and made a plaque to hang in front of the old site. In addition, Fancheng also has Hongwen College founded by American Evangelical Church in today's No.1 Middle School on 19 12, and Shuhua College founded in Ciqi Street Primary School.
Throughout Xiangyang Academy, it is around yamen, between streets and lanes, or dotted with landscapes and pastoral areas. Many academies, whether run by the government or run by the people, have played an irreplaceable role in the history of China's ancient and modern education. There are many academies in Xiangyang, which are well distributed. Together with Fu Xue Palace and Gong Xue in Xiangyang County, they constitute a valuable historical heritage in the history of education in our city.
The only remaining academies in Xiangyang are Huangzhou Academy (which has been overhauled), Qi 'an Academy and Fancheng Longmen Academy. People of insight called for the reconstruction of Lumeng Academy in Xiangyang as soon as possible to add luster to this famous historical and cultural city.