Background

Academies originated from the Tang Dynasty, and were originally for the purposes of writing books, proofreading and book-storing. The warring situation of the Five Dynasties at the end of the Tang Dynasty led to a decline in the official schooling, and consequently academies where people gathered for study in solitude of gathered for lecturing began to flourish. Such academies were usually built in scenic spots or places of historical interests. In the Song Dynasty, academies received the support and sponsorship from the government, therefore, academies focusing on lecturing bloomed, and rules and regulations of the academies were also perfected gradually. The famous Suiyang (Yingtian) Academy, the Songyang Academy, the Yuelu Academy and the Bailu Academy were collectively called the "four big academies' of the Northern Song Dynasty. In more than 1,000 years of their development, different types of academies with different characteristics were developed to cater to the needs of learning: book-compiling academies, lecture academies, examination-oriented academies, sacrifice-to-gods-or-ancestors-oriented academies, disciple-styled academies and dignitary-chaired academies. The ancient academy in China, either privately-run of privately-run with official sponsorship, is a special ancient education system.

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