Journey through the Premier Academy - The Imperial College Confucian Temple

The Imperial College was the highest educational institution and administrative organization for education in ancient China. Serving as the place where emperors of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties lectured, it was equivalent to today's Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Ministry of Education. Students who studied at the Imperial College were called 'Jiansheng'. The Imperial College not only accepted students from all ethnic groups across the country but also hosted foreign students. It played an active role in cultivating talents from various ethnic groups within the country and promoting cultural exchanges between China and other countries. The glazed tile archway of the Imperial College is the only archway in the country that was erected for education, also known as the Dragon Gate Archway. There are three gates in total: civil officials go through the left, military officials through the right, and the emperor through the middle, hence the name Dragon Gate. Therefore, when visiting, be sure to try to leap through the Dragon Gate!