 |
| Songyang Academy |
|
On the northern foot of Songshan, about 3km north of Dengfeng town,
lies the Songyang Academy of Classical Learning (Songyang shuyuan),
one of the four largest academies in ancient China that prepared students
for the imperial examination. The Academy was built during the reign
of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 AD).
Visiting the Academy it is not hard to understand why a good number
of renowned politicians and scholars studied here before making
their mark on Chinese society, since the area around here is both
beautiful in scenery and with a quiet atmosphere. It is considered
an ideal location for the cultivation of the mind, a sweep of the
head will take in the major peaks of Songshan, the two clean streams
that converge in front of the Academy and the wide expanse of farmland
that lies to the south. In the courtyard of the temple there are
also two gigantic cypress trees, regarded as the oldest and biggest
in China at over 3000 years old and each around 12 meters in circumference.
The area has served as a lecturing venue of some of China's most
renowned scholars, Buddhists and Taoists, including, allegedly,
Confucius. |
|
