This is a famous academy in Chinese history. Although it has lasted for thousands of years, it seems that one can still hear the sound of reading. Initially, these academies were either privately built lecture venues, Buddhist temples, and Taoist temples. When official schools declined, academies became places where Confucian scholars lived and studied, playing the role of educational centers. Due to their unofficial nature, they often cultivate a culture of free lecturing and nurture new ideas. Upon examination, it is found that most of these academies flourished during the Song Dynasty. Therefore, why did these academies become unprecedentedly prosperous during the Song Dynasty? What is the relationship between the proliferation of academies and the emergence of new Confucianism in the Song Dynasty?
On the first day of the first lunar month in the year 960 AD, an event occurred at Chenqiao Post on the north bank of the Yellow River, which changed the historical process of China. Zhao Kuangyin, who was accompanied by various generals in yellow robes, was inspected in front of the Later Zhou Palace. He led his army back to Kaifeng, the capital, and forced Emperor Gong of Zhou to abdicate. In the midst of a bloodless battle, a new dynasty, the Song Dynasty, was born.
Chenqiaoyi, Xinxiang City, Henan Province
The mutiny had an impact on the political choices of rulers in the early Song Dynasty. In order to prevent military officials from interfering in politics and stabilize the political situation of the new dynasty, the system design of the early Song Dynasty was centered on preventing corruption, achieving a detailed and meticulous level. Under the influence of the emperor’s intentions and the imperial family law, the bureaucratic class was filled with a conservative atmosphere, which was reflected in the ideological and academic norms of the Han and Tang dynasties. The official academic system that occupied the dominant position in the early Song Dynasty was still characterized by chapter and sentence exegesis, and the “Five Classics of Justice” was still the official legal textbook for Confucian studies. Teaching and selecting scholars were based on this, but there was also a far-reaching measure at that time. That is to say, the policy of advocating literature and suppressing military power, and cultivating morale has always been emphasized, and has become a basic national policy during the Song Dynasty.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: The emperors of the Song Dynasty were just civil servants. They had dozens of officials, and their corrupt practices were not worth the harm caused by a rebellion by a military general. Another advantage of being a civil servant was that they entered the bureaucratic system through the study of Confucianism. They had this value and ideal, and they respected Confucianism. For example, this code of conduct and teachings is very meaningful for the construction of social order.
In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhu Zigui of the Manchu Dynasty was full of scholars. The policy of advocating literature and suppressing martial arts finally came to fruition, causing political changes and a revolution in the field of ideology and academia. In the second year of the Jiayou reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, the famous literati and politician Ouyang Xiu presided over the imperial examination. He hesitated for a long time when grading the exam, but still chose a fluent and well reasoned answer sheet as the second one. It turned out that Ouyang Xiu judged that this test sheet belonged to his student Zeng Gong, and chose the second one to avoid suspicion. However, when the list was opened, he found that the candidate was named Su Shi. Su Shi’s younger brother Su Zhe and students such as Zeng Gong were also admitted. As a result, a group of important historical figures in the Northern Song literary world stepped onto the political stage.
Yongzhaoling, Gongyi City, Henan Province
This is the Yongzhao Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong of Song, located in the urban area of Gongyi City, Henan Province. It was restored in the 1990s and is regarded as a model of inheriting the style of a literary ruler. During his reign, the court was filled with talented people, and the civil service group enjoyed a high political status. The situation of emperors and literati jointly governing the world that later generations talked about, in addition to Su Shi, Su Che, and Zeng Gong, the young talents who entered the imperial examination of Emperor Renzong, as well as Han Qi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, Bao Zheng, Wang Anshi, Sima Guang, and so on, together constitute a beautiful scenery in the long river of Chinese history. These people uphold the highest principles of defending Confucian political morality and ethical norms, and the outstanding individuals among them not only become resolute and courageous political reformers, but also become the backbone of revitalizing Confucianism.
Professor Zhang Xiqing from Peking University: This means that during the Song Dynasty, they implemented a ideology of not killing literati, ministers, and officials, and literati were also implementing the idea of governing the world together with the emperor. I believe that this ideology played a significant role in the development of Song society and social reform. Without a literati’s sense of subjectivity, sense of crisis, and spirit of responsibility, it would be impossible for them to actively propose such reform measures like Fan Zhongyan and Wang Anshi.
In history, the revival of Confucianism that began during this period is usually referred to as New Confucianism, also known as Song Learning. New Confucianism, as a study of righteousness and principles, emerged from the negation of the fragmented and cumbersome Han and Tang annotations and commentaries that were strictly adhered to by teachers.
Chen Changgen, Vice President of the Zhuzi Culture Promotion Association: For example, how do you understand this sentence, how do I explain it, how does he explain it, and how does he explain it? There are no subjective things of his own scholars. Starting from the Northern Song Dynasty, these annotations were constantly added by some cultural giants.
The origin of revitalizing Confucianism can be traced back to the mid to late Tang Dynasty. Han Yu was deeply saddened by the decline of Confucianism and wrote an article called “Yuan Dao”, which emphasized the elimination of Buddhas and elders, advocating for the revitalization of Confucian orthodoxy and the restoration of its original supreme and orthodox status. However, the thoughts of Han and Liu people did not have a significant impact at that time. The new Confucianism of the Song Dynasty was nurtured by Emperor Zhenzong of Song who strongly recommended Confucianism and advocated Buddhism and Taoism. It emerged when Emperor Renzong of Song established the reverence for Confucianism through the imperial examination and the establishment of schools in various provinces and counties. Especially with the increasing development of academy lectures and the formation of new academic styles, with the rise of new Confucianism, scholars became more and more prominent. The self-awareness of the literati is also awakening. The mission of Confucianism is not limited to closed door scholarship, but also to apply the teachings of the sages to serve the country and society. From 1043 to 1045 AD, the Qingli New Policy was implemented, It’s just such an attempt and transformation.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: Ouyang Xiu was a member of the ancient Chinese literature movement. He praised these things and also highly respected Confucius, the great master of Confucianism. However, he also had a spirit of seeking truth from facts, which is related to the tendency of seeking truth caused by the learning and research of literati in the Song Dynasty.
During the Qingli New Policy period, the imperial court wanted to change the rules of music and music. Upon the recommendation of Fan Zhongyan, a cloth clothed scholar was invited to the Central Committee for music and later took charge of teaching at the Imperial Academy. He was Hu Yuan, who was revered as a great master and had the courtesy name Yizhi. He was from Taizhou, Jiangsu and was known as Mr. Anding. He was recommended by Fan Zhongyan and Teng Zijing to lead the Su and Hu Prefectural Schools, dedicating himself to academic and educational activities. In response to the serious deviation from reality in the imperial examinations at that time, he took the lead in advocating the study of understanding, body, and application.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: The key to understanding and applying the body is the concept of body and function. This is a very important concept in the history of Chinese philosophy, and can even be said to be a typical form of traditional Chinese philosophy, called the theory of body and function. However, Hu Yuan’s emphasis on weight is actually based on the principles and principles of teaching, and the classics are used for practical purposes. Therefore, his students summarized it as having body, usefulness, and learning.
He established the “Jing Yi” and “Zhi Shi Er Zhai” schools in Su and Hu prefectures, teaching the Six Classics and the practical application of governing the country and family according to the order and characteristics of the students. For more than 20 years, he achieved remarkable results with thousands of disciples. The school developed a study style of Shen Qian, Du Shi, mellow, and easy to understand.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: Hu Yuan’s contribution to the history of Confucianism in the Song Dynasty was mainly in the education and popularization of Confucianism. Initially, he received support from local officials, such as those like Fan Zhongyan, who achieved excellent social results in running schools in Huzhou and Suzhou. He then became the supervising teacher at a central university and applied his approach to the education of schools from the central to local level. In the process of creating new Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, Hu Yuan, along with two other great scholars Sun Fu and Shi Jie, collectively referred to him as the Third Master of the Song Dynasty. Under the obstruction of the conservative faction, Fan Zhongyan celebrated the New Li era. The government suffered a failure, and Ouyang Xiu, who supported the new policy, wrote a letter to distinguish and was demoted to the position of Governor of Chuzhou, Anhui. In Chuzhou, Ouyang Xiu wrote the immortal masterpiece “The Drunken Weng Pavilion”, which was also a representative work of the ancient literature movement.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: They want to express their new thoughts, emotions, and value orientation through a different ontology from parallel prose, such as using the ancient and simple prose of the pre Qin and Han dynasties to express their own thoughts, emotions, and values that are different from the aristocratic court tastes of parallel prose. Therefore, they adopt the form of medieval prose.
Ouyang Xiu Statue, Ouyang Xiu Memorial Hall, Chuzhou City, Anhui Province
Ouyang Xiu was not only the leader of the ancient literature movement, but also played an important role in the formation of the new customs of the Song Dynasty’s meridians and acupoints. His skeptical attitude towards the focus of the early Confucians actually opened up the Song Dynasty’s atmosphere. In order to summarize historical experience, avoid tragedies from happening again, and highlight the orthodox position of the Central Plains Dynasty in the situation of strong neighbors, the Song people attached great importance to the work of historical revision and the Confucian classic “Spring and Autumn Annals” with the theme of respecting the king and resisting the barbarians, which also laid the foundation for the revival of Confucianism.
Wang Anshi Statue Wang Anshi Memorial Hall in Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province
In the second year of the Xingxining reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, he appointed Wang Anshi from Linchuan, Fuzhou, Jiangxi as the governor of politics. The famous Wang Anshi Reform in history began, and two years later, the court issued a law to reform the imperial examination system, requiring the abolition of the old system of using poetry, prose, and calligraphy to select scholars, and focusing on discussing classics and strategies to select scholars. The reform of the imperial examination reflected Wang Anshi’s political ideology of following the previous kings. Wang Anshi believed that the study of sages had been lost for thousands of years, and the previous Wang’s policies had been abolished and not implemented. The root cause was the decline of talents and the deterioration of customs. Therefore, the fundamental methods to solve the problem were to respect Confucianism, promote education, and promote the Ming Dynasty. Through the study of classics and the transformation of imperial examinations, we aim to cultivate and select talents who are proficient in the teachings of sages and the teachings of kings, in order to eliminate current shortcomings and change customs. In order to share the same customs and morals, select scholars through classics and techniques, and cultivate talents who support reform, in the sixth year of the Xining reign, Wang Anshi was responsible for compiling and interpreting the “Three Classics and New Meaning” of the “Poetry”, “Book”, and “Zhou Li”, which were promulgated to the world. This is not only a natural product of the development of new Confucianism, but also a political product in conjunction with reform. The academic school founded by Wang Anshi is known as the Jinggong New Learning, which holds a very important position in the history of the development of new Confucianism.
Xiao Yongming, Vice Dean of Yuelu Academy of Hunan University: After the presentation of the Three Classics, they were promulgated nationwide through the power of the imperial court. In this situation, he naturally became a basis for these scholars and scholars to study, and also a standard for the imperial examination.
Why does the discussion of New Confucianism always rely on terms such as happy nature and sexual principles? This is because traditional Confucianism emphasizes ethics over ontology, literature over structure, and experience over speculation. While focusing on argumentative reasoning, Song Confucianism has turned to immerse itself in the pursuit and exploration of nature, sexual principles, and the way of heaven. This not only reflects the metaphysical speculative impulse of Song Confucianism, but also reflects their strong sense of mission to reconstruct the world and defend the Confucian orthodoxy. The formation of this trend is also an inevitable result of the long-term integration and agitation of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism in the history of Chinese thought.
Professor Zhang Xiqing from Peking University: I believe that Wang Anshi’s reform of the imperial examination system, including his recognition of the development of Confucianism, should be in a basic and affirmative position. Because I just mentioned Wang Anshi’s offensive new learning, it is actually a practical application of the Four Books and Five Classics.
Fearless of floating clouds obscuring his eyes, Wang Anshi was at the highest level and had lofty aspirations. He believed that the purpose of studying scriptures was to apply them to the world, and advocated using the way of the ancestors to break the superstition of ancestral law at that time, promote extensive social and political reforms, and achieve the goal of enriching the country and strengthening the military. In the late Northern Song Dynasty, except for the reign of Emperor Zhezong Yuanyou, the “Three Classics and New Principles” had always been the official legal school and imperial examination textbook. Jinggong New School also held a prominent position in the official education for a long time. However, because of this, the new school took on a certain cultural authoritarianism color. Although scholars all over the world had to read only the new classics, very few could truly delve into its purpose and promote it. In addition, with complex factors such as political struggles, Jinggong New School, like the Xining Reform, became a focal point of historical disputes and disagreements. After the Southern Song Dynasty, under the relentless criticism of Neo Confucianism scholars, Wang’s new studies became heretical and his influence declined.
Zhou Dunyi Memorial Hall, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province
The saying “Love Lotus” has been passed down throughout history, and its author is Zhou Dunyi, a famous Neo Confucianism scholar of the Northern Song Dynasty. Zhou Dunyi, also known as Uncle Mao, was from Daoxian County, Hunan Province. At the age of five, he lost his father and joined his uncle Zheng Xiang with his mother. Zhou Dunyi loved lotus flowers from a young age, and Zheng Xiang built a pavilion in front of his house to plant lotus flowers, allowing Zhou Dunyi to study and understand the Tao. It can be said that Zhou Dunyi’s definition of the personality of a gentleman and his association with Confucian qualities began with a pond of lotus flowers.
Xiao Yongming, Vice Dean of Yuelu Academy at Hunan University: What he yearns for is a spiritual realm that is both within and outside of this world. Therefore, in Zhou Dunyi’s “Love Lotus”, he expresses his spiritual pursuit, on the one hand, to work solidly in this world, and on the other hand, to have a relatively high spiritual pursuit, the so-called “getting out of the mud and not getting stained”.
Zhou Dunyi was the founder of the Song Dynasty’s Neo Confucianism, mainly writing works such as “Tai Chi Tu Shuo” and “Tong Shu”. Starting from the era of Emperor Shenzong, the development of New Confucianism entered a second stage. During this stage, New Confucianism shifted from being broad to being refined, from advocating for literature to carry the Tao, and from being practical to emphasizing pure theoretical exploration and spiritual understanding. It shifted from being complex and rich to being standardized and standardized. The academic system tended to be complete and mature, and the level of philosophical speculation significantly improved. As a result, it gained the most important ideological achievement in the history of the Song Dynasty, which is the basic establishment of the Neo Confucianism system.
Xiao Yongming, Vice Dean of Yuelu Academy of Hunan University: Why is the “Tai Chi Diagram Theory” so important? In fact, I think it has laid a basic theoretical framework for Neo Confucianism, especially the Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism and Zhu Xi Neo Confucianism. He first discusses the origin and essence of all things in heaven and earth, and the origin of the universe is infinite. Then, starting from the infinite, he talks about the formation and deepening of all things in heaven and earth, and then discusses people. Then, he talks about the morality of people, and then discusses the cultivation of people. In fact, he connects heaven and people.
In this way, Zhou Dunyi linked the theory of cosmic generation with the theory of human nature. At the same time, he also proposed the concept of the sage governing tranquility, advocating that through the cultivation of tranquility, evil can be eliminated and good can be promoted, in order to reach the highest level of the sage. This greatly advanced Confucianism, and many of the propositions and categories proposed by Zhou Dunyi were repeatedly discussed and developed by later Neo Confucianism scholars, paving the way for the formation of Neo Confucianism. The inheritance of Confucianism and Mencius in the heart, and the beginning of Taoism, Zhu, were precisely due to the completion of the transformation of New Confucianism from the study of righteousness and propriety to the study of the heart and nature, and the study of the principles of nature. It was only then that the academic thinking of the Song Dynasty had a completely new atmosphere that was distinct from the study of Han and Tang.
These four famous sayings, also known as the Four Verses of Hengqu, are from Zhang Zai, a philosopher of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Zhang Zai Statue, Zhang Zai Temple, Meixian County, Shaanxi Province
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: There is both the ultimate concern of carrying forward the past and opening up the future, as well as the ideal of governance, which is to establish a life for the people and create peace for the world. It actually represents a value pursuit of the Song Dynasty literati class. If you use our past language to call it “inner sage and outer king”, you should be a person with a relatively noble inner spiritual world, and then be able to practice the practice of governing the country and pacifying the world.
Zhang Zai, with the courtesy name Zihou, had ancestral roots in Kaifeng and later moved to Hengqu Town in Meixian County, Baoji, Shaanxi. He was known as Mr. Hengqu. Zhang Zai lost his father as a young man and had a precocious personality. Due to frequent invasions by the Western Xia Dynasty at that time, he was once obsessed with military affairs and wanted to make achievements on the battlefield. At the age of 21, he discussed nine points and expressed his views to Fan Zhongyan, who was then the Deputy Governor of Shaanxi.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: According to this record from the Song Dynasty, there is a saying that Zhang Zai wanted to find Fan Zhongyan and make contributions on the Western Xia battlefield. However, Fan Zhongyan advised him to read “The Doctrine of the Mean”, as if Zhang Zai had embarked on a theoretical creation path of this new Confucianism.
Following the advice of Fan Zhongyan, Zhang Zai returned home to study hard the books of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. After more than ten years of dedicated research, Zhang Zai wrote works such as “Zhengmeng”, “Hengqu Yishuo”, and “Jingxue Likuo”, which basically established the framework of Neo Confucianism and his own theoretical system. The Song Dynasty lost a possible general, but added a great Confucian scholar. Zhang Zai’s theory, known as Guanxue, had a great influence in the Guanzhong region. The prosperity of Guanxue played an important role in purifying Guanzhong customs and promoting the socialization of Confucianism. He himself also recruited a large number of disciples and became a great master in the Guanzhong region.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, Yang Shi, a scholar at a university, went to study and braved the snow to pay his respects to Cheng Yi. When he saw him dozing off, he waited outside the door. When Cheng Yi woke up, the snow had already accumulated more than a foot thick. The story of Cheng Men Lixue, who respected his teacher, has been passed down.
Statues of Cheng Hao (h à o) and Cheng Yi (y í) Ercheng Tomb, Yichuan County, Luoyang City, Henan Province
Cheng Hao (h à o) and Cheng Yi (y í) were the founders of Neo Confucianism. Because they were from Luoyang, Henan and had been teaching in Luoyang for a long time, their school of thought was called Luoxue. The theories of Cheng and Zhou had a certain historical relationship with Zhou Dunyi and were also influenced by Zhang Zai’s Guanxue. According to records, during the youth of Ercheng, Zhou Dunyi worked as a subordinate under his father Cheng Gui. Cheng Gui greatly admired Zhou Dunyi’s character and knowledge, and his two sons became disciples of Zhou Dunyi. From then on, the two brothers became filled with the desire to seek the Tao. And Zhang Zai is the cousin of Er Cheng, who together discussed Yi and Li.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: So the influence of Zhou Dunyi on Er Cheng is very obvious, which is his understanding of the overall universe, the relationship between human nature and heavenly principles, including the theory of physical and mental cultivation. Cheng Yi wrote an article in the Imperial Academy called “Yan Zi Hao He Xue Lun”, which integrates the ideas of Hu Yuan and Zhou Dunyi. They directly received this source of thought from Zhou Dunyi’s place. In terms of the main idea of the Ercheng theory, the two brothers are no different, but they have significant differences in the specific extension, interpretation, and personal temperament of the doctrine. Cheng Hao had exceptional aptitude and mainly achieved an understanding of truth through intuition, which had a significant impact on the later study of the mind of King Lu; Cheng Yi advocated seeking knowledge from things, emphasizing the use of external knowledge to experience internal knowledge. Later, Zhu Xi roughly developed Neo Confucianism along Cheng Yi’s line of thought. After the beginning of the Wang Anshi Reform, Cheng Hao withdrew from politics due to political disagreements and worked with his younger brother Cheng Yi to encourage students to study every day. Cheng’s disciples spread throughout the country, and Luo School developed into an important school that interacted with the official and Jinggong New School. Due to the inheritance and promotion of many disciples, the influence of Luo School continued, and almost all schools of Neo Confucianism during the Southern Song Dynasty could find their origins from Luo School. From Zhou Dunyi, to Zhang Zai, and then to the Second Cheng, the Song Dynasty’s Neo Confucianism has been inherited and gradually developed into a grand vision. The culmination of the Song Dynasty’s Neo Confucianism is about to emerge.
Nanxi Academy, Sanming City, Fujian Province
As soon as the square pond was opened, the sky and clouds lingered together. I asked where the canal was so clear that there was a source of fresh water. This poem, with its ethereal essence (y ù n), was once published and widely circulated, becoming a driving force for people to study and explore the truth. This poem is Zhu Xi’s “Reflections on Reading”.
Zhu Xi Memorial Hall Mount Wuyi, Nanping, Fujian
Zhu Xi was the culmination of Song Dynasty Neo Confucianism and is considered the most important representative figure of Confucianism after Confucius and Mencius. The development of Neo Confucianism eventually formed a complete ideological system with Zhu Xi. Zhu Xi: styled Yuanhui, also known as Hui’an, was a native of Wuyuan, Jiangxi. He resided in Jianyang, Fujian as an overseas Chinese and wrote extensively throughout his life. Zhu Xi’s lecture was held at the Kaoting School in Jianyang, hence his school of thought is known as the Min (m ǐ n) School or the Kaoting School. Zhu Xi was also the founder of the orthodoxy of Neo Confucianism. His “Yiluo Yuanlu” centered around the Second Cheng and arranged Zhou Dunyi, Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi, Zhang Zai, and Shao Yong into the Neo Confucianism genealogy, explaining the origin and inheritance of Neo Confucianism, promoting the continuation of the Mencius tradition by the Second Cheng, and respecting Zhou Dunyi as the teacher of the Second Cheng, thus establishing the inheritance of Neo Confucianism. Starting from this book, the Five Scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty became the orthodox of the new Confucianism of the Song Dynasty, and the Neo Confucianism of Cheng and Zhu also developed into the dominant ideology in the later feudal society of China.
Chen Changgen, Vice President of the Zhuzi Culture Promotion Association: Zhu Xi’s research achievements on regulating qi are mainly reflected in the eight characters: principle comes first with qi, and principle is integrated with qi. The so-called reason, in simple terms, is a kind of thinking, a consciousness, and a conceptual thing. The so-called qi is material. According to Zhu Xi’s understanding, this thinking consciousness or in other words, it is ahead of material. Analyzing it according to Marxist philosophy, it definitely belongs to the category of idealism.
The so-called “preserving heavenly principles and eliminating human desires” means using heavenly principles to overcome human desires. Zhu Xi also used the principle of “reason in qi” to argue the relationship between monarchs, subjects, fathers and sons, and couples, believing that they, like the four seasons in nature, are caused by heavenly principles. Tianli, Zhang is the Three Principles, and Ji is the Five Constants, which cannot be erased for millions of years. Through Zhu Xi’s exertion, the Three Principles and Five Constants became the moral pillars for later generations to maintain the feudal hierarchical system. Starting from 1241 AD, the first year of Chunyou reign of Emperor Lizong of Song Dynasty, Zhou Dunyi, Ercheng, Zhang Zai, and Zhu Xi were able to enjoy the Confucius Temple. In the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial examination system explicitly stipulated the use of Zhu Xi’s annotations, which elevated the position of Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism to official academic status and established its dominant position. The four stone tablets of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and integrity embedded on the left and right walls of the lecture hall of Yuelu Academy have become the motto remembered by scholars throughout history, and this is one of the few handwritten works left by Zhu Xi.
Zhang Zhan resembles Yuelu Academy in Changsha City, Hunan Province
In the third year of the Qiandao reign, Zhu Xi went to Tanzhou, which is now Changsha, to visit Zhang Zhan, a representative figure of the Huxiang School. The two of them founded a lecture at the Yuelu Academy, where Zhu Xi’s calligraphy of loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and integrity was revered as the school motto. Yuelu Academy also became one of the world-renowned universities. Zhu Xi was not only a philosopher, scholar, but also a great educator. He established academies wherever he went, treating them as the best platform for preaching and promoting Neo Confucianism.
Tomb of Lady Zhu, Jianyang City, Fujian Province
In the sixth year of the Qiandao reign, Zhu Xi repaired the Cold Spring Shrine next to his mother’s tomb, and began his nearly ten years of seclusion and filial piety, writing about his apprenticeship career. In January of the second year of Chunxi, Lv Zuqian, the leader of the Zhejiang East School, visited Dongyang, Zhejiang. In addition to giving lectures at the Cold Spring Academy, the two exchanged knowledge and compiled the book “Jinsi Lu”, which is known as the Cold Spring Meeting. In the seventh year of the Chunxi reign, Zhu Xi repaired the White Deer Cave Academy while serving as the commander of the Southern Kang Army, and personally formulated the famous “Regulations on the Study of the White Deer Cave Academy”.
Chen Changgen, Vice President of the Zhuzi Culture Promotion Association: Its main starting point is to teach people how to be a good person, how to interact with others, mainly to standardize these things, the purpose of learning how to be a good person, what kind of person to be, and how to be a good person.
This school regulation is one of the earliest educational regulations in the world and has become a model for academies throughout the world.
Mount Wuyi Nanping City, Fujian Province
In the 10th year of Chunxi’s reign, Zhu Xi founded the Wuyi Jingshe along the Jiuqu River in Mount Wuyi, and devoted himself to writing books and learning about it. Zhu Xi’s theory was widely spread, and Mount Wuyi also gained the reputation of Daonan Grottoes. In the third year of the Shaoxi reign, Zhu Xi built a house in Kaoting, initially named Zhulin Jingshe. Later, it was bestowed with books by Emperor Lizong of the Song Dynasty, known as the Kaoting Academy. This was the most mature period of Zhu Xi’s thought, and the academy gained widespread fame, attracting scholars from all over the world.
Tanyang Qixian, Jianyang City, Fujian Province
Zhu Xi’s Tomb, Jianyang City, Fujian Province
In his later years, Zhu Xi suffered from the calamity of party prohibition and was persecuted. He continued to write and teach here with tenacious perseverance until the last moment of his life. After Zhu Xi’s death, he was buried in the Huangkeng Dalin Valley in Jianyang County. As many as a thousand people participated in the funeral, the famous poet Xin Qiji wept and offered sacrifices to his close friends. Those who remained immortal will be remembered for generations, known as the Duke’s death, still living in awe.
Ehu Academy, Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province
In the second year of the Chunxi reign, the Ehu Academy located in Shangrao, Jiangxi welcomed a grand event in the history of Chinese culture. Two cultural giants of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan, met here and confronted Zhu Xi academically. Lu Jiuyuan, also known as Mr. Xiangshan, was the most distinctive thinker and educator of the Southern Song Dynasty. His academic core was to regard the heart as the origin of all things in the universe, and in fact, he regarded human moral rationality, consciousness, and autonomy as the ultimate basis. In the second year of Chunxi, Zhu Xi sent Lv Zuqian to the Ehu Temple in Shangrao, Jiangxi. In order to reconcile Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan, Lv Zuqian invited the brothers Lu Jiuling and Lu Jiuyuan to meet at Ehu. There was a sensational academic debate between Zhu and Lu, known as the Ehu Meeting.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: At the Ehu Conference, the main debate was about the way of learning. For example, Zhu Xi focused on this broad perspective and extensive exploration, learning from lower levels and reaching higher levels, and promoting the manifestation of natural principles and character through the study of objects and the cultivation of respect. However, Lu Jiuyuan believed that this understanding of reason was trivial and cumbersome. He said that those who truly engage in learning should invent their original intention, not in such trivial daily learning and reflection on their spiritual thoughts. Instead, they should awaken their inner conscience and natural principles. If that thing is revealed, then once it is fully understood, it is called the original intention of invention, and their own learning is called the original intention of invention.
Zhu Xi’s responsibility towards Lu Jiuyuan also reflects the deep concern of orthodox Neo Confucianism scholars. Lu Jiuyuan’s theory is mainly based on himself, his own way of life, and he has no constraints, which may break through the last line of defense of Confucian moral rationality. As Lu himself said, such a bold voice of encouragement, breaking free from traps, burning thorns, and stirring up barbarians and filth indicates the enormous energy of change and rebellion lurking within Confucianism.
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: You can say that there are two tendencies within Confucianism. Some people emphasize that the human heart is inherently good, and that one mind can activate it as long as the original mind is invented. Zhu Xi realized the darkness of human nature, not just inventing, but going through repeated efforts.
Although there were serious academic differences between Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan, they did not affect their friendship. In the eighth year of the Chunxi reign, Zhu Xi invited Lu Jiuyuan to give a lecture at the White Deer Cave Academy. Lu Jiuyuan talked about the chapter in the Analects, which emphasizes the importance of ambition. He believed that the difference between a gentleman and a villain lies in whether they aspire to be saints and take responsibility for peace. The listeners were deeply moved. Zhu Xi also engraved the lecture notes of Lu Jiuyuan in stone as a memento, Lu’s brilliant speech, and Zhu Xi’s broad mindedness, creating a beautiful story in the history of thought. At the same time as Zhu Xi’s Neo Confucianism and Lu’s Neo Confucianism, scholars in eastern Zhejiang also rose to prominence. In the past, there were Lv Zuqian, Zhu Xi, and Zhang Zhan, collectively known as the Three Sages of Southeast China. Later, Ye Shi, along with Zhu Xi and Lu Jiuyuan, stood in power. Scholars in eastern Zhejiang focus more on the study of the external king (w à n ǐ) who is practical and practical, paying more attention to social reality, valuing historical experience, and emphasizing the importance of making achievements, thus forming a unique meritorious school of thought.
Chen Liang’s Portrait at Wufeng Academy in Zhejiang Province
The most representative of the momentum and character of the Zhejiang East School is undoubtedly the genius Chen Liang of the first generation. Chen Liang: styled Tongfu, also known as Longchuan, born in Yongkang, Jinhua. According to the legend of the Song Dynasty, Chen Liang was born with a brilliant vision. He was a talented and talented person who enjoyed discussing military affairs and had a lively style of discussion. He wrote thousands of words and was a talented and extraordinary person. Chen Liang and Zhu Xi have had multiple debates around the inherent proposition of Wang Ba and Yi Li in Confucianism. This prolonged debate is a manifestation of the open contradiction between the Zhejiang East School and Cheng Zhu Confucianism, and its significance far exceeds that of Zhu and Lu’s “Goose Lake Meeting”. Zhu Xi’s world is a priori, emphasizing the cultivation of mental and moral character; Chen Liang’s world is experiential, emphasizing practical skills. The academic paths of the two are fundamentally different. Faced with criticism from the various Confucian scholars of Taoism, Chen Liang confidently and boldly replied, “To overthrow the wisdom and courage of a lifetime and to broaden the mind of eternity, one can only claim to be one day behind.”
Professor Li Xiangjun from Beijing Normal University: His thoughts represent some people, especially in the peaceful situation of the Southern Song Dynasty, who had a tendency to try to enrich the country and strengthen the military. You can say that Chen Liang and Wang Anshi and Li Xian from the Northern Song Dynasty were combined with Xunzi, a tradition in Confucianism that emphasizes merit, reality, and concreteness.
The folk culture in the eastern Zhejiang region emphasizes reality and emphasizes practical achievements. The rise of academic achievements in the Southern Song Dynasty is closely related to this folk culture and the local socio-economic development. This trend has been passed down to this day and has become the spiritual source for local people to be pragmatic, innovative, develop business, and dare to be the first in the world. The socio-economic development of the Song Dynasty did not lead to the process of modernization, or rather, this change was interrupted by the invasion of Mongolia. Similarly, the main focus of the new Confucianism in the Song Dynasty was not to subvert tradition, not to pave the way for new systems, but to rebuild inherent culture and traditional ways of life. Moreover, this ideological achievement itself constitutes a part of the new tradition.
Xiao Yongming, Vice Dean of Yuelu Academy at Hunan University: During the hundreds of years of the Song Dynasty, Neo Confucianism made great efforts to spread and Confucianism was updated and developed, which indeed had a very profound impact on the world. By the end of the Song Dynasty, we knew that when the last cliff was pursued by the Yuan army, so many people went to jump into the sea, like Wen Tianxiang. I think he was just a typical representative. There are many scholars like him who have integrity, strictly adhere to this traditional code of conduct, and adhere to the traditional teachings, so the comparison before and after is very significant.
In the long history of Chinese intellectual history, Neo Confucianism marks another stage of development after the pre Qin philosophers, the Confucian classics of the Two Han dynasties, the metaphysics of the Wei and Jin dynasties, and the Buddhism of the Sui and Tang dynasties. Although Neo Confucianism has gained the mainstream ideological status, made significant progress in the reconstruction of moral rationality and internal order, and enabled traditional Confucianism to be reborn, the national spirit has lost the grand and pioneering atmosphere of the Han and Tang dynasties. After the Song dynasty, concepts such as patriarchal clan, chastity, and filial piety have become popular, and the constraints of the Three Virtues and Five Constants have become stronger. The imperial examinations and essays have occupied the spiritual life of scholars, allowing them to pursue and explore the creativity of new knowledge. The increasing sluggishness and difficulty in generating and spreading the spirit of democracy and science have led to a long-term stable yet stagnant state in Chinese society.
90 Seconds of History: Culture of the Song Dynasty
In the year 960 AD, the wars and disputes that swept through the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms led to the establishment of the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty adopted a policy of valuing literature over martial arts, reviving Confucianism, and gradually entering a new artistic realm with the development and evolution of song lyrics that complemented banquets and music. The appreciation and transformation of Song lyrics by literati not only reflected the spiritual demeanor and personal charm of the elite group of literati, but also made Song poetry a unique flower in Chinese language and literature. During this period, the calligraphy and painting that Song literati were good at also formed a huge artistic trend, and the society was filled with a culture of respecting teachers and valuing education. Talented scientific and technological talents were appreciated by the court. Reuse, rapid technological development, maturity and innovation of printing technology, The development of the publishing industry and private book collection industry was driven by the tremendous progress in shipbuilding and navigation technology, which led to the export of exquisite porcelain from the Song Dynasty overseas. At the same time, the movable type printing, gunpowder, and compass technology invented by the Song Dynasty were also transmitted to the world. From then on, an era of economic and cultural education prosperity emerged in the long river of Chinese history, and the two Song cultures, known for their elegance, have always been revered and inherited by later Chinese people.
