Chapter 16 Chapter 6 The Decline and Reformation of Academy in Qing Dynasty

The prosperity of the academies and the development of the lecture system in the middle of the Ming Dynasty once led to the vitality of academics and the enthusiasm of intellectuals to care about the future and destiny of the country. After the rulers of the Qing Dynasty unified the whole country, they learned from the experience and lessons of the Ming Dynasty and adopted strict restrictions on the academies.In the ninth year of Shunzhi (1652 A.D.), an order was issued that "don't create academies to gather disciples, and call on local wanderers and idlers to talk about waste karma."However, academies have already occupied a very important position in the development of cultural and educational undertakings, especially among Han intellectuals. A simple ban will intensify social conflicts, so academies are allowed to give lectures under strict control. And began to commend certain academies, such as: in the 14th year of Shunzhi (AD 1657), at the request of Hunan Governor Yuan Kuoyu, the Hengyang Shigu Academy was restored to "recognize the former sages and promote the later learners".In the twenty-sixth year of Kangxi (1687 A.D.), the handwritten plaque "Learn to achieve nature" was given to Wuyi Wuqu Academy, Wuyuan Huayang Academy, Lushan Bailudong Academy and Changsha Yuelu Academy built by Zhu Xi.In the twenty-ninth year (AD 1690), he also wrote a plaque of "Great Confucianism Shize" and a couplet of "Sincerely explaining Zou Lu's practical learning, and respecting the poor theory of Shao Lianluo's heartfelt biography", which were given to Fujian Kaoting and other academies.In the sixty-first year (AD 1722), the plaque "Xuezong Zhusi" was written again and bestowed on Suzhou Ziyang Academy.Revealed the intention to support the development of Zuncheng Chengzhu Academy of Neo-Confucianism.But until the eleventh year of Yongzheng (AD 1733), he still declared: "As for the establishment of an academy, choose one person as a teacher. If there are few students who are studying, the teaching will not be broad; if there are many students, there will be confusion among them. It will be a place to hide dirt and evil." Therefore, it is still "not allowed by the ministry" to those who request to hire teachers to build academies.There are still strict restrictions on private establishment of academies.

From the eleventh year of Yongzheng, while prohibiting private establishment of academies, government-run academies began to be advocated. First, one or two academies were built or restored in the provincial capitals, and funds were allocated for tuition fees.In the eleventh year of Yongzheng, King Sejong ordered: Recently, seeing that the provinces have come to know that they advocate real government and don't do anything to promote fame and reputation, and those who study for the exam can get rid of the habit of rushing around, so they set up an academy and choose a province with excellent literary skills to study among them. Let it be taught and recited day and night, practiced wholeheartedly, and achieved something, and scholars from far and near will feel inspired, and it is also a way of cultivating talents.The place where the governor is stationed is the provincial capital, and the governor will discuss and implement it, and each will be given a thousand taels of money.In the future, scholars who study in groups must plan in advance and pay for their tuition fees to last forever.Its shortcoming lies in the internal payment of the public bank.The ministers of feudal borders and others also have the duty of guiding scholars, and each of them should pursue it with all his heart, dethrone superficiality and admiration of truth, and make the state of the country simple and simple. My high hopes are also.

According to this decree, various provinces established academies one after another and made them the highest institutions of learning in the province.The academies restored or established successively include: Baoding Lianchi Academy, Jinan Luoyuan Academy, Taiyuan Jinyang Academy, Kaifeng Daliang Academy, Nanjing Zhongshan Academy, Suzhou Ziyang Academy, Nanchang Yuzhang Academy, Hangzhou Fuwen Academy, Fuzhou Aofeng Academy , Wuchang Jianghan Academy, Changsha Yuelu Academy, Changsha Chengnan Academy, Xi’an Guanzhong Academy, Lanzhou Lanshan Academy, Chengdu Jinjiang Academy, Zhaoqing Duanxi Academy, Guangzhou Yuexiu Academy, Guilin Xiufeng Academy, Kunming Wuhua Academy, Guiyang Guishan Academy, Beijing Jintai Academy, Guilin Xuancheng Academy, Shenyang Shenyang Academy, a total of 23.

After that, various prefectures, prefectures, and counties also set up academies one after another. "Either gentlemen funded the establishment, or local officials allocated public funds to managers, and they all reported to the officials in charge for inspection." Academies at all levels were mostly included in the track of government schools. During the Qianlong period (AD 1736-1795), there were many edicts. Qianlong cared about the development of the academy, and ordered the governors, academic officials to carefully select mountain leaders, reward those with outstanding achievements, and demanded that the management of the academy be strengthened. For example: in the first year of Qianlong (AD 1736 Year) Encyclical:

The system of the academies, so the introduction of talents is beyond the reach of the school... This department is the governor of the provinces, and all the heads of the academies must be selected. , You must choose the outstanding talents in the village, those who are deep in learning, study in it, rely on their talents, and those who are frivolous and uninhibited are not allowed to enter the academy indiscriminately.Imitate Zhu Zi's "Bailudong Rules and Regulations" and set up rituals to check his body and mind; imitate the lessons given in "Different Years of Reading" so that he can penetrate the classics and history.Those who do not follow the lead will be rejected and not kept.After the three-year tenure of the academic ministers expires, they will be assessed by consultation and visits. If the teaching skills are considerable and talents emerge, each will be rewarded.After six years, the work will be effective, please discuss it according to your discretion.Those who are particularly different in materials and utensils among the students are allowed to recommend one or two to show encouragement.

While encouraging the development of academies, the rulers of the Qing Dynasty also increased the intensity of control.The academies gradually became the vassals of government schools that were only "the shortcomings of the Cantonese schools". Most of the academies' hosts and lecturers no longer gave lectures on moral cultivation, but only prepared for the imperial examinations.The success or failure of an academy is mostly measured by the number of people who have been admitted.The initiative of the academy to give lectures has been greatly reduced, and the style of study has become increasingly corrupt.The ruler himself has to admit that the head of the Academy "solicited favoritism, in name only", teaching "whatever he said in his day, there are no outdated texts", students blindly pursue "minor tuition fees, and even have their heads down. Those who refuse to go in vain", "Academies in various provinces will be abandoned every day, and they are all in name only."

Nevertheless, the development of academies in the Qing Dynasty was not without success.The development of academies in the Qing Dynasty also had many new features. First of all, the number of academies in the Qing Dynasty was unprecedented and their distribution was very wide.According to Cao Songye's "Overview of Academies in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties", there were more than 1,800 academies in the Qing Dynasty. According to recent statistics, there were more than 3,000 academies in the Qing Dynasty.Not only are academies widely established in coastal provinces and regions in the interior, but also many academies have been established in many remote provinces and areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities, such as Jilin, Heilongjiang, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Ningxia.Especially in Taiwan, there were more than 60 academies founded in the Qing Dynasty. According to Lian Heng's "General History of Taiwan", there are Haidong Academy, Chongwen Academy, Nanhu Academy, Zhengyin Academy, Yinxin Academy, Penghu Academy, Lilou Academy, Fengyi Academy, Pingtung Academy, Yufeng Academy, Hongwen Academy, Baisha Academy, Wenkai Academy, Longmen Academy, Lantian Academy, Yingcai Academy, Dengying Academy, Mingdao Academy, Xuehai Academy, Mingzhi Academy, Yangshan Academy, Chong There are a total of 23 schools including Ji Academy and Wenshi Academy.

Secondly, government-run academies accounted for the vast majority. In addition to the establishment of government banks at all levels, there were also private property founders from officials at all levels.According to Cao Songye’s statistics: there were 1,800 academies in the Qing Dynasty, 1,088 were established by the local government, accounting for 60.44%; 186 were established by the governor, accounting for 10.33%; 6 were established by the central capital, accounting for 0.33%; 101 were established by imperial edicts (special approval by the imperial court), Accounting for 5.61%, a total of 1381 government-run institutions, accounting for 76.71%.There are only 182 private institutions, accounting for 10.11%.

Thirdly, businessmen funded more and more academies.With the development of the commodity economy, the social status of businessmen has improved, but there has been a long-standing traditional concept in China of "emphasizing Confucianism and despising businessmen".After gaining economic status, many businessmen also want to gain a certain status in culture and politics. Therefore, they hope that their children will be infected with Confucianism, gain academic fame, and actively donate money to sponsor academies or support the government to open schools for business children. Academy.For example, there are two academies in Hangzhou, Chongwen and Ziyang, which were jointly founded by Huizhou merchants and salt transportation officials.Another example: Tan Ziwen, Yangchuan Town, Jingde County, Anhui Province, abandoned his studies in his early years to start a business. In the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong (1793 A.D.), he began to build an academy, pouring all his money into it, using more than 20,000 taels of silver, and it took three or four years to build a large-scale academy. Yuwen Academy.Another example: salt merchant Ma Huiguan (guanguan) independently funded the reconstruction of the academy at the former site of Ganquan Academy, which was called Meihua Academy.Wang Gui, a salt merchant in Guangzhou, bought an old house covering an area of ​​more than eight acres and built the Yuehua Academy, "a place for the children of merchants to hide, practice and travel." In addition, merchants in the pawn industry, tea industry, cotton industry, and silk industry There are also those who donate money to build the academy or provide financial support for the academy.At the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were even foreign scholars and merchants who donated money to build academies. For example, the Gezhi Academy founded in Shanghai in the 13th year of Tongzhi (AD 1874) was built with donations from foreign shipping companies in Shanghai.During the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908 A.D.), Jing Yuanshan, general manager of the Shanghai Telegraph Bureau, funded the establishment of Jingzheng Academy.This indicates that new forms of education are gradually sprouting and growing.