Songyang Academy

Songyang Academy, on Songyang Road in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou area, Henan province, is one of the four great academies of the Song dynasty and among the oldest centres of learning in China. It was founded in 484 AD, originally as a Buddhist temple, and later became a Confucian academy where scholars studied the classics and debated philosophy. The Neo-Confucian thinkers Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi taught in the region, and the academy is associated with that intellectual tradition. The site is a compact walled complex laid out along a central axis, with gates, courtyards, lecture halls and a study hall in traditional northern Chinese style. Its most famous feature is a pair of ancient cypress trees said to date from the Han dynasty, which are enormous, twisted and propped up with supports, and have been given honorary titles in local tradition. The trees are the main photographic subject, and the courtyards around them are shaded and quiet. A carved stone tablet from the Tang dynasty, the Songyang Temple Stele, is also a notable piece of calligraphy and history. A visit takes about one to one and a half hours, making it a shorter stop compared with the main Shaolin complex. The academy is about 8 km from Shaolin Temple and is often visited on the same day as Zhongyue Temple, which lies close by. Mornings are calm, while tour groups sometimes arrive midday. Photography is allowed in the courtyards. Signage is mainly in Chinese, so a translation app helps. A Didi from Dengfeng city takes about ¥15, and the site is less crowded than Shaolin, giving a peaceful contrast for visitors interested in scholarship and history rather than martial arts.