Classical academies were cultural and educational institutions that existed in

China from the Tang and Song dynasties through the Ming and Qing dynasties.

They were established either by the public or the government to serve the

multiple purposes of education, research, and library service. Their origins

were Buddhist monasteries and private libraries in the Tang Dynasty. Classical

academies flourished in the Song Dynasty. In the early years of the Southern

Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi, Zhang Shi, Lü Zuqian, Lu Jiuyuan, and some other

scholars established academies that served as teaching and research centers

of their respective schools of thought. The academies were independent of

government schools and were located mostly in tranquil and scenic places.

Under the supervision of learned Confucian scholars, the academies pursued

academic freedom and innovation. Teachers taught by both precept and

example, and laid stress on shaping their students' moral character, rather than

encouraging them to win degrees in the imperial civil examination system.

By the end of the Southern Song Dynasty, however, the academies became

increasingly government-oriented and were linked with the imperial civil

examination system. The rise and decline of the academies was in harmony

with the rise and decline of the School of Principle during the Song and Ming

dynasties.

In 1901 the Qing government ordered all the academies be changed to schools

in modern sense. Having existed for more than 1,000 years, the academies

greatly helped develop traditional Chinese culture and education, and convey

Chinese culture abroad.