The imperial examination system was a system for selecting officials through examinations in China in ancient times and in Japan, North Korea, Viet Nam and other countries influenced by China.
The imperial examination lasted more than 1200 years from the beginning to the last Jinshi examination in the 31st year of Guangxu (the last imperial examination in the world ended in 19 19 in Ruan Dynasty, Vietnam). The main examinations of the imperial examination system are held regularly. The imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty and the early Song Dynasty were held once a year. In Song Taizong, the imperial examination is held every two years, and in Song Yingzong, it is held every three years (1066).
Imperial examinations are usually divided into local provincial examinations, central provincial examinations and court examinations. After having obtained the provincial examination, the first place was Yuan in the Central Provincial Examination, and the first place in palace examination was the champion.
There were many subjects in the imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty, such as Scholar, Gentleman, Scholar, Faming (Law), Zi Ming, Shu Ming (Mathematics) and so on. The examination content includes current affairs, posts and essays. The imperial examination in Song Dynasty includes Jinshi and Mingjing subjects, and the examination contents include Tiejing, Mo Yi and Poetry. After Wang Anshi took part in politics, he abandoned poetry and fu, iron classics, and learned from classics, theory and strategy. The imperial examination in Ming and Qing Dynasties was changed to eight-part essay.
The imperial examination system is the fairest form of talent selection that can be adopted in feudal times. It expanded the social level of talent introduction in feudal countries and absorbed a large number of middle and lower class people into the ruling class. Especially in the Tang and Song Dynasties, at the beginning of the imperial examination system, it showed vigorous progress and formed the golden age of China's ancient cultural development.
In the Tang and Song Dynasties when the imperial examination system was mature, its enthusiasm still dominated. However, after the Song Dynasty, with the dehumanization of feudal autocracy, the negativity of imperial examinations became more and more serious. After the Song Dynasty, the cultural creativity of the intelligentsia went from bad to worse, and the talents were worse from generation to generation.