Songyang Academy

Songyang academy, located on the south of Songshan and at the foot of the Taishishan Mt, has south orientation and enclosed by rivers and mountains and hills on Eastern, Western and Northern sides. It was included into the fifth group of national key protection relics by state council in 2001. Songyang academy, built in the 8th ruling year of King Taihe of Northern Wei Dynasty (484 A.D.), was named as Songyangsi temple and used as a Buddhist place. It was renamed as Songyangguan temple in the 8th year of Sui Dynasty (612 A.D.) and used as a Taoist place. It was used as temporary imperial dwelling place during two visits of the King Tang Gaozong and Queen Wu Zetian, where Songyang academy was renamed as Fengtiangong temple. It used to be named as Tianfenggong temple in middle Tang Dynasty. The founders of philosophy of Song Dynasty, Chen Yi and Chen Yin had presented lectures in Songyang academy and the academy had become a nurturing place for philosophy of Song Dynasty. The academy was burnt in Ming Dynasty and rehabilitated in Tang Dynasty where it had witnessed most prosperous development. The academy, occupying a total area over 1750 mou, had over several hundred apprentices and stored more than 2000 books. The present relics include 15 stone sculptures of Eastern Wei Dynasty and 14 ancient trees. Songyang academy with concise and neat structure had diverse functions as the first place to teach Confucian doctrines, a place to worship scholars and a place to held examinations. Hence, it is of high significance for the development of Confucianism, the research on academic building, educational institution and Confucian culture in ancient China.