Academy is a unique form of educational organization in ancient China.The name of the academy originated from Lizheng Academy and Jixiandian Academy, which were officially established in the middle of the Tang Dynasty (785-805 AD). , similar to the royal library.At the end of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties, most scholars lived in seclusion to avoid chaos and study in the mountains and forests. Later, they developed into gathering books and teaching apprentices. They often named the place for reading and lectures after the academies, and then evolved into a form of educational organization.By the beginning of the Song Dynasty, a group of influential and famous academies had formed, such as: Bailudong, Yuelu, Songyang, Yingtianfu, Shigu, Maoshan and other academies.During the Southern Song Dynasty, the system of lectures in the Buddhist Zen forest was absorbed and used for reference, which further developed and improved the academy. It survived the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, with the decline of the entire feudal education system and the birth of modern new schools, the ancient academy was gradually developed. Change to school.Academies have existed in China for more than 1,000 years, and they have become a remarkable spectacle in the history of Chinese culture and education.

Academies are generally founded or presided over by private individuals, and there are also family and private funded ones. Most of them are encouraged and funded by the imperial court and local government, or given names, plaques, and books; The form of running schools and teaching with government aid and private office aid. Most academies were developed by famous teachers and Confucians gathering disciples to give lectures.The sponsor or moderator uses the academy as a base to research or disseminate their own academic research experience and results.The academy also takes the academic achievements of famous scholars as the main educational content.Most of the students in the academy come to study in admiration of famous teachers, and closely combine their learning from teachers with their personal academic interests, reading, studying and researching at the same time.This has formed a unique teaching method and educational organization form in which academic research, reading and lectures are integrated, combined and mutually promoted.

Most of the teachers and students in the academies aim to be obsessed with academics and cultivate their minds. Therefore, most academies oppose the imperial examination and the pursuit of fame and fortune. Most of the teachers and students hate the imperial examination and are indifferent to official career. Adhere to the festival and flaunt it.Often in conflict with the current policies and immediate interests of those in power.For example, the Neo-Confucianism taught by Zhuxi Academy in the Southern Song Dynasty was once listed as "pseudo-learning" and "banned party". Lin Academy's lectures, "satire discussing government affairs, and judging people", were even designated as "Donglin Party Case", Donglin Academy was banned and destroyed, and brought disaster to academies across the country.Because of this, both the Yuan and Qing dynasties strengthened their control over academies, making them official and incorporated into the track of the imperial examinations, making them, like the official ones, a vassal of the imperial examinations.

Academies and government schools at all levels have a complementary relationship and a counterbalanced relationship with different interests.Generally speaking, the lack of official schools and the flourishing of academies made up for the shortage of official schools.In particular, the imperial court had no time to consider the establishment of schools and teaching, and was unable to set up official schools. It often encouraged and supported the development of academies, and academies became an important means to meet the reading requirements of scholars and maintain social stability.Once it was possible for the imperial court to concentrate on developing official schools, the academies were neglected.In the development of academies for more than a thousand years, there have been many times that the government schools prosper and the colleges decline, and the academies prosper and government schools fail.As official schools were more dominated and controlled by the imperial examination system, they pursued vain literature and pursued fame and fortune, resulting in numerous disadvantages in official schools, and teaching without "virtue, morality, and art".Official schools and academies present a situation where different interests confront each other and compete side by side.

On the whole, the curriculum and teaching of government schools are relatively tedious and rigid, and too stylized, while the curriculum and teaching of academies are relatively simple and flexible, and teachers and students have more initiative and freedom.When Mao Zedong founded Hunan Self-study University in his early years, he used the school-running tradition of ancient academies for reference. He affirmed that the curriculum of the academy is simple, the teaching is flexible, teachers and students discuss together, leisurely and content, and the relationship between teachers and students is harmonious, which is far superior to government schools.

Academies are basically private schools, but they are different from ordinary private schools, social studies, and free schools.It can be said that the academy is an advanced form of private school.The teaching of academies is mainly based on academic research, and most academies are often the activity centers or research bases of a certain school of thought.The academy is not only a school, but also a research institution, as well as an academic group.In general, private schools, social studies, free schools, etc. are mostly in the nature of enlightenment education, mainly instilling and training literacy, daily common sense, basic ethics, behavioral norms, and preliminary preparation for exams.In the ancient private school system, it can be considered that general private schools, social studies, and free schools belong to the category of primary education or basic education, while academies basically belong to the category of higher education.Of course, in some periods, the establishment of academies was very popular, and some academies also assumed part of the functions of elementary education, especially some family-owned academies. Even so, academies were clearly different from private schools, social studies, and free schools.

Lectures and academic research are the main activities of the Academy.The close combination of lectures and academic research has become a prominent feature of academy education, and the ways of combination are flexible and diverse.Usually, the host of the academy gives the lectures. Each lecture sets up a theme, which is called Mingli Tenet, and the research experience and results are taught. Students listen to the lectures and ask questions, forming a discussion-style teaching.Sometimes the academy invites famous teachers from different schools of thought to give lectures in the academy. The teachers and students of the academy listen to the lectures together, engage in debates, and explore the similarities and differences of different schools of thought.For example: Zhu Xi once invited Lu Jiuyuan to Bailudong Academy to talk about "a gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness, and a villain is a metaphor for profit".This method of lecturing has developed into a system of "speaking well", which actually turns the lectures in the academy into a seminar for academic debate among different schools of thought.For example: Zhu Xi and Zhang Shi [shishi] once had "Zhu Zhanghui Lecture" in Yuelu Academy.This method of lectures has been further developed into a system of "lectures", each academies take turns to host, and invite teachers and students from other academies to give lectures together, and local officials, gentry, and people can come to listen freely, thus expanding into an area centered on academies Sexual academic lecture activities, and established a complete "lecture statute", some of which spread to several counties and counties, with one or two thousand people attending the lectures.For example: in the Ming Dynasty Ziyang Academy lectures, there was a "Ziyang Meeting", and Donglin Academy lectures, there was a "Donglin Meeting" and so on.This method was very common in the Southern Song Dynasty and the middle of the Ming Dynasty, and almost became the main method of teaching in academies, and had a great impact on cultural education, academic thought, and secular folk customs.

Another important activity of the academy is to carry out sacrificial activities.There is an important difference between academy sacrifices and religious sacrifices or ancestor sacrifices.The sacrificial activities of the academies focus on the educational function. In addition to worshiping Confucius and Mencius and other sages and teachers, most of them focus on offering sacrifices to the founders and representative figures of the school, and at the same time offering sacrifices to those who made contributions to the establishment and development of the academies.Propagating their deeds, keeping their academic interests in mind, remembering their merits, setting up a model for teachers and students to admire and emulate, has become a good form of education on the academic origin of the school and the struggle process of the academy. The images are vivid and effective, and the effect is excellent.

Collecting and collecting books is also an important activity of the Academy.As the name suggests, the academies are famous for their rich collection of books. Each academie has become the place with the most abundant and complete collection of books in the local area. Many academies have specially built library buildings, library pavilions or bookstores, which have become an important part of the academy buildings.The book collection activities of the academy not only prepared sufficient materials for the teaching and research of the academy, but also provided convenience for local scholars and gentry to consult and consult.Many academies also publish their own books. Lectures and research results of academies or lecturers, lecture notes and reading diaries of academies students are sorted out and published into books, which not only preserves the achievements of teaching and scientific research, but also expands social influence.Among the rare books and rare books collected in libraries today, many are "academic books".This unique organizational form that integrates libraries, school education, and research institutions is quite inspiring to future generations.

As a historical and cultural phenomenon, academies no longer exist, but the fine traditions of academies still have strong vitality.Many people who are committed to education reform and cultural renewal in modern times are often eager to study ancient Chinese academies, absorb nutrition from them, and seek reference.In recent years, there have been attempts to establish new-style academies.People may see that the academies, an ancient organizational form unique to cultural education, are radiating new vitality in the new era.