Guanzhong Academy's Red Pillars and Green Tiles Are a Must-Visit

🌟 Guanzhong Academy: A Thousand Years of Scholarly Atmosphere Hidden in the Bustling City Strolling along Shuyuanmen Street in Xi'an, you suddenly encounter an ancient building with vermilion red gates and green glazed tiles, as if traveling through time. This Ming and Qing dynasty building hidden in the modern city is the famous Guanzhong Academy—the predecessor of one of China's Four Great Academies and the best-preserved ancient academy complex in Northwest China. 🏛️ The Past and Present of the Academy Founded in the 20th year of the Ming Wanli era (1592) by the renowned Neo-Confucian scholar Feng Congwu. Feng Congwu, who once served as Minister of Works during the Ming dynasty, taught here, with student numbers reaching over five thousand at its peak, making it a major academic center in the Northwest. Today, Guanzhong Academy retains its Ming architectural style, covering about 12,000 square meters, featuring three courtyards, blue bricks, black tiles, and towering ancient trees. 📚 Cultural Heritage 1️⃣ Second Gate Archway The most stunning feature is the second gate archway of the academy, with vermilion red pillars and green glazed tiles, inscribed with the four gilded characters "Guanzhong Academy." Standing beneath the gate, you can almost hear the clear voices of Ming and Qing scholars reciting classics. 2️⃣ Lecture Hall The large lecture hall with five bays remains in its original state, with painted pillars and beams faintly visible, restoring the scene of academic debates from the past. It is said that when Feng Congwu lectured, officials often came to listen out of admiration. 3️⃣ Stele Forest Legacy The academy’s stele gallery houses many stone calligraphy works by famous masters, with smooth and full carving techniques, continuing the tradition of the Xi'an Stele Forest. 📖 A Contemporary Spiritual Home Having endured the trials of war and time, the academy has been revitalized as part of Xi'an University of Arts and Science’s campus. Every evening, when the setting sun shines on the mottled brick walls and overlaps with the silhouettes of diligent students on campus, the ancient and modern melodies blend perfectly here. It must be said, in the hustle and bustle of city life, encountering such a tranquil place is truly a great fortune. Sitting under the ancient cypress trees of the academy, touching the weathered bricks, one suddenly understands what it means for "time to never grow old."