Home Travel Jiangxi Bailudong Academy is not well-known, but it is the first Chinese...

Jiangxi Bailudong Academy is not well-known, but it is the first Chinese Academy and has been selected as a World Heritage Site

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What are the names of the four major academies in ancient China and where are they? I’m afraid that many people can’t answer, or have incomplete answers.

Which is the top of the four major academies in China? There are also many people at a loss. Before traveling to Jiujiang, Jiangxi, I didn’t understand it either.

In the past, I knew that Jiujiang, Jiangxi had a famous Mount Lu, with Yanshui Pavilion, Suojiang Tower, Xunyang Tower and other places of interest, but I didn’t know that there was also a Bailudong Academy. It was not only the first of the four ancient Chinese academies, It was also included in the World Heritage List as part of Mount Lu.

Bailudong Academy is located at the southern foot of Wulaofeng, Lushan, and is as famous as Henan Songyang Academy, Henan Yingtian Academy, and Hunan Yuelu Academy.

The academy sits on the north side and faces the south. It is a courtyard-style building with multiple entrances. The style retains the characteristics of the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Because the name of the academy is Bailudong, I thought before I came here: Is this academy built in a cave?

In fact, the Bailudong Academy had nothing to do with the cave at the beginning. It was wrong to be literary and righteous, but it seems that there are many people who have this idea.

It turns out that Bailudong Academy is located in a location surrounded by four mountains, which looks like a cave.

In the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang native Li Bo and his brother lived and studied here in seclusion. At that time, Li Bo raised a white deer as a pet and followed him in and out. Therefore, Mr. Bailu said that Bailu + this cave-like place was called Bailu Cave. Later, the dean of the academy simply called himself “Dongzhu”.

Bailudong Academy is a national key cultural relics protection unit. Although it is not a garden, it has the charm of a garden due to the lush forests and streams surrounding it, and the unique design of the garden.

It is far away from the urban area, and it was even more remote in ancient times when the traffic was relatively backward. This environment allows scholars to concentrate on studying and studying. Nowadays, strolling around the major courtyards, you can still feel the fragrance of the day from the details.

The history of Bailudong Academy as an institution can be traced back to the Southern Tang Dynasty, when it was called “Lushan Guoxue”, also known as Kuangshan Guozijian, and was as famous as Jinling Guozijian in the capital of Nantang. In the early Song Dynasty, it was expanded into an academy, but it was later destroyed by the fire.

It was Zhu Xi, a philosopher in the Southern Song Dynasty who really made the reputation of Bailudong Academy. It was he who presided over the restoration of this ancient academy that almost disappeared in the long river of history and became the master of the cave. Zhu Xi’s philosophy of Confucianism has enriched the local culture.

Bailudong Academy has statues of Zhu Xi, Zhou Dunyi, and Wang Yangming. These are all great influences on later generations. Zhou Dunyi’s “Ai Lian Shuo” is full of philosophical principles, and Wang Yangming’s “the unity of knowledge and action” is of practical significance. The story of his literati’s victory is still being talked about by later generations. It is said that the Japanese feared him and respected him. In a realistic sense, Wang Yangming is worthy of being a “hero in troubled times” and a well-known philosophical enlightenment.

Bailudong Academy retains a large number of cultural relics. There are more than 150 inscriptions since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, there are more than 50 plaques and couplets left by many celebrities, and more than 50 cliff carvings since the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

After the construction of many dynasties, Bailudong Academy has formed a large-scale building complex. Among them, Sanjin Academy is located in the middle. On the left side of the Academy are Xianxian Academy and Dixingmen Academy, and on the right side are Ziyang Academy and Yan Hotel.

As mentioned earlier, Bailudong Academy did not have a cave at first, but a closer inspection revealed that there was a small cave behind the academy. However, the cave is small and it can be seen that it was not formed naturally. It turns out that this hole was excavated by the order of the Nankang prefect Wang Qin in the ninth year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, and the stone deer statue was also artificially placed in it. In 1614, the Shilu was taken out and buried in the ground. It was not discovered for a long time. It was not until the maintenance of the temple in 1982 that Shilu was accidentally discovered and placed in the cave again.

Travel Tips: It is suitable for fun all year round, and it is more convenient to travel by car. In addition, you can take the minibus from Jiujiang to Xingzi at Jiujiang Bus Terminal, and get off at the intersection of Bailudong Academy.