Revisiting Jinling: North Pavilion of the Nanjing Imperial Examination Museum (11)

Since the 19th century, Western countries such as France, Britain, and the United States have also adopted the imperial examination system to establish their civil service examination systems. Some scholars refer to the imperial examination as China's 'fifth great invention.' In fact, we still use examination systems today, especially the college entrance examination. Through the imperial examination, the state selected a large number of talented individuals, greatly improving administrative efficiency since the Tang and Song dynasties. Although most of the top scholars throughout history remain obscure, it is undeniable that many capable officials emerged from the imperial examination system, with most high-ranking officials coming from the top three ranks. The emergence of the imperial examination system marked a move towards a fair and just talent selection system. Of course, cases of corruption under the imperial examination system were not uncommon. Even today, the Grand Canal remains a major waterway for transportation. When Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty excavated the canal, it was to connect the major east-west water systems of China, primarily for grain transport. As for the imperial examination system, few people seem to know that it was actually established by Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty.