Story of Yuelu Academy

Author: Zhu Hanmin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The cultural name mountain Yuan takes its name from the mountain, and the mountain flourishes because of the Yuan. Yuelu Academy is one of China's ancient "Four Great Academies" and is located at the foot of Yuelu Mountain. The ancients considered Yuelu Mountain to be one of the 72 peaks of the Southern Mountain, and it is the foothill of Hengshan, hence the name Yuelu. Legend has it that as early as the ancient times, it was considered the "divine Yu opening up the land." Yuelu Mountain is close to the city but not noisy, with deep forests and sweet springs, providing an excellent natural environment for the development of culture and education. Famous mountains are often associated with Buddhism and Taoism, and Yuelu Mountain has long been a center for religious activities. Before the Western Jin Dynasty, it was a "blessed land" for Taoist practitioners. Under the Yu King Stele, there is a quiet "python cave" on the Cangbi Valley, also known as "Baohuang Cave," said to be where Taoist practitioners once meditated. Taoist buildings such as Wanshou Palace and Chongzhen Temple were once built there. Later, legends say that Taoist practitioners Deng Yu and his son, as well as Xu Lingqi, came here to practice, all of which indicate that Yuelu Mountain had a considerable scale of Taoist activities. Since the introduction of Buddhism to the Western Jin Dynasty and the establishment of Lushan Temple, the Buddhist influence on Yuelu Mountain has gradually grown. One of the famous "Two West Temples," Lushan Temple (originally Huiguang Temple), was built in the fourth year of the Taisi era of the Western Jin Dynasty (268 AD). It was one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Hunan, known as the "Huxiang temple." In the eighteenth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (730 AD), the renowned calligrapher Li Yong wrote the famous "Lushan Temple Stele." Li Yong (678–747) was skilled in literature and calligraphy, learning from the Two Wangs (Xizhi and Xianshi) while forming his own style. The "Lushan Temple Stele" is his representative work, with elegant wording and vigorous script, enhanced by the skillful carving, earning it the name "Three Perfections of Beihai" (Li Yong once held the position of Beihai Prefect, also known as Li Beihai). The temple of Daolin, which is mentioned alongside Lushan Temple, originated in the Six Dynasties and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. The famous Tang Dynasty calligrapher Ouyang Xun once inscribed the gateboard of "Daolin Temple," and it was known as "Daolin with three hundred monks." The poem "Neighbors are all gold and green, — Buddhist and Brahmin" truly describes the development of Buddhism in Lushan during the Tang Dynasty, forming a scene of temples and monasteries dotted with pavilions and towers. Yuelu has long been favored by scholars and poets. Since the ancient times of opening up the land by Yu the Great, scholars have come to live in seclusion, read, and study, adding brilliance to Lushan and creating cultural conditions for the establishment of academies. Notable figures such as Tao Kan, Ma Sui, Pei Xiu, Du Fu, Shen Chuanshi, and Liu Changqing all established their homes and contributed to the cultural brilliance. During the Jin Dynasty, Tao Kan once resided in Shang'an on Lushan, and the site is located within the academy. In the fifteenth year of the Daoguang era (1835 AD), Tao Fu, the governor of the two rivers, built a Shang'an for Tao Kan and carved the Lushan Temple Stele inside as a memorial. Ma Sui, a Tang general (726–795), once built Daolin Jingshe near Daolin Temple as a place for scholars to gather. At that time, Daolin Jingshe was also referred to as an "academy" because it was a place for seclusion and study, serving as a venue for Confucian activities. The exchange and integration of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism paved the way for the new development of Yuelu culture and laid the cultural foundation for the establishment of Yuelu Academy. Of course, it was only after the establishment of Yuelu Academy that the cultural mountain of Yuelu entered a new stage of development, a new situation of Yuelu culture centered on Confucianism.
II. Establishment of the Academy
The wars of the late Tang and Five Dynasties period severely damaged the cause of culture and education. The Northern Song Dynasty unified the country, ending the long period of division and domination after the late Tang and Five Dynasties, bringing political stability and economic development, creating favorable conditions for the development of culture and education.