Cultural Heritage Unlocked
Golden Platform Academy 金臺書院, East Xiaoshi Street 東曉市街, Dongcheng District 東城區, Beijing 北京, China, Qing Dynasty 清代, 1879
‘Shuyuan 書院’ was a type of traditional private academy of classical learning in East Asia. Comparing with state-run ‘Official Schools 官學’, private academies were often more free in the sense of critical debates over classics and politics, though state supervision had been imposed on them since 17th century in China.
This academy was the largest and longest-running one in Beijing. It was established in 1700 as a charity school 義學 for orphans by QIAN Jinxi 錢晉錫, the then Capital Prefectural Magistrate 京兆尹. After gradual enlargements sponsored by the imperial court, it was renamed as ‘Golden Platform’ in 1750 and turned into an Imperial Examination 科舉 training centre. The extant complex was formed after the renovations in 1842 and 1879.
Due to its geographical and social proximity to the Forbidden City 紫禁城, this academy became frequented by high ranking scholar-officials, offering opportunities for elite students to network or to be directly recommended to the emperor. In view of this, an inscribed stele erected in 1784 by the academy’s official supervisors strongly condemned young scholars for failing public expectations with such egoism over fame and fortune, and admonished them to humbly learn from the experiences of the best talents gathered in the capital city, and therefore, to better serve the nation in the future. This stele is still preserved in the wall of the gate hall today.
After the system of Imperial Examination was abandoned in 1905, the academy became a public primary school. This is still the function of the historical courtyards today. It was listed as municipal-level protected heritage in 1984. This photo was taken in 2009.
Golden Platform Academy 金臺書院, East Xiaoshi Street 東曉市街, Dongcheng District 東城區, Beijing 北京, China, Qing Dynasty 清代, 1879
‘Shuyuan 書院’ was a type of traditional private academy of classical learning in East Asia. Comparing with state-run ‘Official Schools 官學’, private academies were often more free in the sense of critical debates over classics and politics, though state supervision had been imposed on them since 17th century in China.
This academy was the largest and longest-running one in Beijing. It was established in 1700 as a charity school 義學 for orphans by QIAN Jinxi 錢晉錫, the then Capital Prefectural Magistrate 京兆尹. After gradual enlargements sponsored by the imperial court, it was renamed as ‘Golden Platform’ in 1750 and turned into an Imperial Examination 科舉 training centre. The extant complex was formed after the renovations in 1842 and 1879.
Due to its geographical and social proximity to the Forbidden City 紫禁城, this academy became frequented by high ranking scholar-officials, offering opportunities for elite students to network or to be directly recommended to the emperor. In view of this, an inscribed stele erected in 1784 by the academy’s official supervisors strongly condemned young scholars for failing public expectations with such egoism over fame and fortune, and admonished them to humbly learn from the experiences of the best talents gathered in the capital city, and therefore, to better serve the nation in the future. This stele is still preserved in the wall of the gate hall today.
After the system of Imperial Examination was abandoned in 1905, the academy became a public primary school. This is still the function of the historical courtyards today. It was listed as municipal-level protected heritage in 1984. This photo was taken in 2009.