Hakka Capital - The Splendid Tingzhou (Part 7): Wolong Academy

If the ancient city walls and Diantou Street show us the past prosperity and glory of Changting, then Wolong Academy interprets this thousand-year-old city in a different way. Wolong Academy is located near the ancient city of Changting, founded during the Baoyou period of the Southern Song Dynasty, named for the mountain terrain resembling a dragon lying on the ground. Upon entering the main gate, a wall called the 'reflecting wall' faces you, with the characters for 'advance in virtue' inscribed upon it. Walking west from the reflecting wall, there is a building called 'Long Xuetang'. This is an old residence donated by international movie star Jackie Chan, featuring the complete architectural style of the Hui school. Leaving 'Long Xuetang' and heading north along the western corridor, a building facing south, called 'Zangjing Lou', has a couplet outside that reads: 'Full of learning, do not let down the moon over the Ting River when you raise your head; with the weight of family and country on your shoulders, always stir the tides of the Han sea at heart'. Exiting from the east side door of 'Zangjing Lou', you walk down a long corridor shaded by green bamboo, and enter a place called 'Lecture Hall'. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi once lectured here, and the youth of Tingzhou flocked to him. It is said that the words 'Lecture Hall' were inscribed by Zhu Xi himself. Hundreds of years later, Wang Yangming visited this place, and the two great scholars of Neo-Confucianism and the School of Mind looked across time at each other, reflecting each other's brilliance. Qiu Zhen Guan is a special exhibition hall of the academy, representing the Confucian doctrine of Wang Yangming's School of Mind, combined with their connection to Wolong Academy in promoting and lecturing on the Dao. Wenchang Pavilion enshrines and venerates the Emperor Wenchang, an important place for scholars seeking fame and success in their studies. To this day, although the sound of reading aloud can no longer be heard, the heart of advancing in virtue and cultivating oneself still remains. Wolong Academy