The story appears on

Page A16

March 29, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Sunday » Now and Then

Shuyuan designs show beauty of simplicity

SHUYUAN, or the academy of classic learning, represents a special genre in ancient Chinese architecture. It has long been cherished by Chinese scholars and architects as a rare gem for its distinctive style and design.

Shuyuan were private institutions of higher learning. They first appeared in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and boomed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when there were a total of more than 1,200 such establishments around the country in their peak years.

These academies came into being following the general failure of official schools in the late Tang Dynasty. And unlike schools before, which were just designed to train students for imperial examinations — a long-standing civil system in imperial China to select candidates for state bureaucracy, the academies of classic learning also provided a place for scholars to concentrate on studying Chinese classics or give them space to contemplate.

Financed by rich individuals, such as successful businessmen, government officials or renowned scholars, shuyuan were usually built in tranquil places close to nature and away from daily hustle and bustle. The purpose was to create a quiet environment for scholars to pursue their spiritual self-perfection free from worldly restraints or mundane affairs.

The lecture halls were always the center of an academy and all other buildings were built symmetrically along the central axis, reflecting the spirit of conscientious scholarship.

In addition to the lecture halls, the libraries and prayer rooms were also essential parts of shuyuan buildings, which were mostly built of timber and bricks. And the dormitories usually were along the two sides of the main buildings or in the back part of an academy.

In line with their philosophy, simplicity, freshness and functionalism were upheld as the guidelines in architectural design of all ancient Chinese academies of classic learning.

So, most buildings in such establishments were single-story structures although a few two-story buildings were erected in the final years. Also, there were very little decorations or color paintings, which was done intentionally to reflect the stoic lifestyle of the scholars.

Among hundreds of shuyuan in ancient China, Yuelu Academy, White Deer Grotto Academy, Yingtian Academy and the Songyang Academy were known as the “Top Four” most prestigious academies in the country for more than 1,000 years.

However, Yuelu Academy, founded in AD 976 and located to the east of Yuelu Mountain in central China’s Hunan Province, is the only one that has evolved into a modern institution of higher learning after the ancient institution was turned into Hunan University in 1926. Today it serves as the university’s research and publication center.

Occupying a total area of 21,000 square meters, Yuelu Academy is divided into four courtyards with dozens of beautiful ancient buildings. In front of each major building there’s a gentle flight of steps creating an atmosphere of solemnity and profoundness.

At the end of the axis of the establishment stands a three-story pavilion, which is used as shulou, or library. This is the only tall building in the academy, symbolizing ancient Chinese scholars’ respect for books.

The White Deer Grotto Academy in Jiangxi Province is another ancient academy of classic learning still in existence today.

Established in AD 940, the buildings in the academy line along the east-west axis. All these buildings are made of timber, stone and bricks and feature a simple inverted V-shaped flush gable roof.

Most ancient academies have long been reduced to ruins or totally disappeared. Except for Yuelu Academy in Hunan, the remaining existing shuyuan today are either landmarks or tourist attractions.




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend