White Deer Cave Academy

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The White Deer Cave Academy is in a valley at the foot of Wulao ridges, which is one of the most famous four biggest academies in ancient China and enjoys high prestige in the Chinese history of education. It was established in 940 AD. The teachings were first centered on the teachings of Confucius. The founder raised a pet white deer, thus it is named”Academy of White Deer Cave”. In the courtyard, there are the Tablet Corridor, the Sacred Gate of Ceremony and White Deer Cave, etc.

The academy had its beginnings as a place for the pursuit of learning by a Tang Dynasty poet Li Bo when he was living in retirement. As Li Bo kept a white deer, he was known as the White Deer Teacher. Between the years 937AD-942 AD, when the area was under the control of the Southern Tang Dynasty,a school was officially established here under the name”Lushan Guoxue”.

In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, which began in 960 AD, Lushan Guoxue was transformed into an academy, known as the White Deer Cave Academy. The academy was the recipient of imperial favor from the Emperor Taizong (976AD-997AD), who bestowed on it books and awarded official rank to the academy’s head. However, later it fell into disrepair.

In 1179AD-1180AD, during the Southern Song Dynasty, the academy was rebuilt and expanded by Zhu Xi, and later became the most preeminent place for Neo-Confucians. During this period, Zhu Xi received comprehensive and regular education in Confucianism. The core of Zhu Xi’s neo-Confucianism system was the heavenly principles. He believed that outside the material world, there existed heavenly principles that were independent of the material world. He also held that many principles existed not only between people but also between people and nature.

According to Zhu Xi, it was mankind’s duty to correctly handle the relationship. hetween people and nature and make it possible for things to develop naturally.

The new academy opened its door to students and scholars in 1180 AD. It was involved in instruction, the collection and preservation of books, religious sacrifices,the development of curricula，and lectures by famous scholars，including such notable names as Lu Jiuyuan，and later Wang Yangming.The academy continued to flourish for eight centuries.The rules of the academy set down by Zhu Xi had a profound and lasting influence on the suhsequent development of Confucianism.