Yuelu Academy

Yuelu Academy

sits at the eastern foot of Yuelu Mountain in Changsha City, Hunan Province.

Leaning on mountain and located near the waterside, the Yuelu Academy faces the Xiang River with its back to Yuelu Mountain. The academy is enveloped in stretches of trees that create a refined and quiet environment. Built in 976 during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the Yuelu Academy is now listed as a then-famous academy. It was honored with a tablet in 1018 with the imperial inscription: Yuelu Academy. Between 1165 and 1173 during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), renowned scholars Zhang Shi and Zhu Xi gave lectures at the academy. Engraved on both sides of the lecture hall walls four, huge characters that read: faithful, dutiful, honest and integrity.

The academy was converted into an advanced school in 1903

was renamed Hunan University in 1925.

Enduring nearly 1,000 years of winds and rain, the academy was frequently renovated. Most of its present constructions were built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The central lecture hall, known as hall of faithful, dutiful, honest and integrity, is the core construction at the academy. A horizontal tablet with imperial inscriptions of Emperor Qianlong hangs in the front of the hall. Other constructions include the Wenchang Pavilion, the Six Gentlemen Pavilion, the Banxue Building and the Hexi Platform.

Early in 1015, emperor zhen zong of the song dynasty awarded the academy hid majesty"s own handwriting "yuelu academy" on a tablet. form then on many famous scholars and great thinkers gave lectures here, among them were zhangshi, zhuxi and wangyangming, thus making a great impact on the province"s culture and education. most of the existing buildings here were constructions of the ming and qing dynasties, and the bulk of the engraved stone plates and inscribed tablets have all been kept intact, in 1956 the academy was listed as a historical site at the provincial level and later, in 1988 it became a historical site at the state level. the last restoration project started in 1981 and the major part was completed in 1987.

A Lushan Temple Tablet is stored in the stele pavilion to the left of the Yuelu Academy. Carved by Huan Xianhe in 730 during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the tablet's inscriptions were composed and etched by the famous calligrapher Li Yong. The relic is revered for its three uniques, namely the article, handwriting and carving. The tablet is four meters high and 1.35 meters wide with over 1,400 inscribed characters. It holds an important position in Chinese calligraphic history.

"he xi platform"

"he xi" means the "the splendour of the sunrise", it was named by zhuxi, a great idealist philosopher of the confucian school during the song dynasty, the platform was first built on the top of yuelu hill, by zhanshi, and later in 1528, a pavilion was built on it, but it became deserted with the passing time. in 1790 luodian, the master of the academy, built a platform at the present site, in 1820, the succeeding master, ouyang houjun, renamed it "he xi platform" in order to memory zhuxi and zhanshi. it was restored in 1868.

On the inner walls of the platform are two big chinese characters "fu" and "shuo", which mean "blessing" and "longevity" respectively. legend has it that the character "shuo "was written with a broom soaked in yellow mud by a taoist master at the time master luodian was attending a banquet in honour of the examination officials and those dispels who had passed the civil exam hence it has been regarded as having "celestial touch" the character "fu" was written by luodian, the master himself.