The "Unity of Knowledge and Action" we learned about in textbooks was born in Guizhou.

When we travel to Guizhou, we usually go to see the mountains, rivers, and ancient towns, but we miss out on one of Guizhou's cultural highlights: "Yangming Culture." Guizhou was a turning point in Wang Yangming's life and a major turning point in the history of ancient Chinese thought. When Wang Yangming was exiled to what is now Xiuwen County, Guizhou, he described the difficult living conditions in "First Arriving at Longchang, Having Nowhere to Stay, Building a Thatched Hut": "The thatched hut is not as high as my shoulders, and my weary body is just right. I open the thorns to make a fence, and the earthen steps are endless." However, with extraordinary patience, he pondered, "If a sage were in this situation, what would he do?" He finally let go of his obsession with "only life and death remain in my heart." During his three years in Guizhou, he went from enlightenment to teaching, spreading his philosophy to the world and for generations to come. He also influenced the learning environment in Guizhou. According to relevant information, before and after Wang Yangming came to Guizhou, the number of schools and people passing the imperial examination in Guizhou increased fourfold. The entire education system in Guizhou underwent a huge change because of him. Even today, the spirit and slogans of Guiyang and Guizhou are related to him, showing the profound influence of Wang Yangming on Guizhou. When following in the footsteps of the sages, there are three places you must visit in Xiuwen County: China Yangming Cultural Park "The Holy Land of Mind Studies, the Source of Wang Studies" The park has functional areas such as the Unity of Knowledge and Action Square, Wang Yangming Memorial Hall, Yangming Cave where Wang Yangming was enlightened, Qimin Platform, and Wang Yangming's Life Exhibition. The most important of these is Yangming Cave, which became famous after Wang Yangming moved here from Wanyiwo to live and teach. The cave still preserves 43 cliff carvings and 23 stone inscriptions from the Ming Dynasty to the Republic of China, which are of great artistic value. Wanyiwo There is a passage in the "Complete Works of Wang Yangming" that reads: "I began to understand that the way of the sage is inherent in my nature, and it was a mistake to seek reason in things." This is known as the "Longchang Enlightenment," so this narrow cave is the true source of Yangming's philosophy and one of Wang Yangming's places of enlightenment. It is said that when he first arrived in Xiuwen, he lived in the cave and named it "Wanyiwo," reflecting the sage's transcendence of the harsh environment. Yangming Academy A great place to learn about Chinese culture, separated from Wanyiwo by only a river, with stone steps in the river for easy access. The academy houses many ancient Yangming documents and has unique cultural and creative products, making it well worth a visit.