Heping Academy is the earliest academy in the history of northern Fujian. It was founded by Huang Qiao (87 1-953), assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry in the later Tang Dynasty, when he abandoned his official position and retired. At the beginning, it was a school run by the Huang family, specially for children at home. Later it gradually evolved into a local school. It is no longer just a school of the Huang family. Other peaceful families also donated money, food and land to support the academy and sent their children to the academy. Peace Academy has lasted for more than 1000 years since its establishment. After liberation, it was still used as the site of Heping Primary School, and it was only after the Cultural Revolution that the new school building outside the North Gate was relocated.
The existing Peace Academy was rebuilt in Wenchang Pavilion at the request of the scholar Raymond in the thirty-fourth year of Qing Qianlong (1769), and was named after the Tang and Song Dynasties. Zhang, the magistrate of Shao Wu, once wrote A Record. The existing Heping Academy is located in the northwest corner of Guzhen District, covering an area of about 700 square meters and a construction area of more than 500 square meters. It is a quadrangle building with brick horse head wall, single entrance hall and bucket structure. Gallery buildings are built on both sides of the patio, and the hall building is about 1.6 meters higher than the patio and gallery building. In the middle of the courtyard, there are thirteen stone steps leading to the hall. There are five rooms in the hall, with the hall in the middle and classrooms on both sides. Behind the hall and outside the fence, there is a three-slope water annex (kitchen). The brick in front of the main entrance gatehouse is engraved with four regular script characters of Yang Wen Peace Academy, which is unpretentious and has no other carvings and paintings. The open space in front of the door is paved with pebbles. There is a single masonry door wall on the north side of Kongping, and the top looks like an official hat. The gate in the middle and the ticket arches on both sides form a word, which means that reading is an official, and an official should be a hierarchical official. It embodies the thought of learning to be an official in feudal society.
The historical role of Heping Academy: When it was first established, it was a family school, with the purpose of attracting future generations and cultivating clan children. It pioneered the clan-run school, and since then, Shaowu Southern District and even the whole Shaowu clan-run school has become a common practice, creating an atmosphere of peaceful study and attaching importance to education for more than 1000 years. Later, it evolved into a local school, which benefited the mulberry and trained a group of outstanding people.
The Great Value of Peace Academy: The ancient academy in China originated in the late Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties. Heping Academy, founded at the end of the Five Dynasties and Tang Dynasty, is one of the earliest academies in China and the earliest academy in northern Fujian, with a long history of over 1000 years. In the more than 1000 years after the school was founded, it not only created a precedent for running schools by clans, but also made great contributions to the development of education and the prosperity of writing style in peacetime. In the history of Heping area and even Shaowu, there are many talented people who borrowed Peace Academy directly or indirectly. Therefore, it has immeasurable historical value. Although the existing Peace Academy is a long building, it is still a precious historical relic, and its cultural value cannot be underestimated.
The design of the north gate of Heping Academy is very particular, with the top shaped like an official hat, which embodies the idea of being an official in the old society. Three doors form one word, which means to be a high official. To enter the hall of the college, you must climb thirteen steps. The first six steps are to study hard. Starting from the seventh level, you will get seven grades to one grade, which means you will be promoted step by step. The woodcarving moon beam above the gate looks like an open book, indicating that it is beneficial to open the book. The scroll was originally inlaid with the words "sky-opening moire", but unfortunately it is no longer there. When Heping Academy was founded, it was a school run by Huang clan, which was specially set up for the children of clan, creating a precedent for running schools by peaceful clan.
The surnames and clans in the south of Shaowu competed to follow suit, and since then, clans have become accustomed to running schools. Since the Song Dynasty, Heping Academy has gradually become a local school, attracting a large number of historical celebrities to give lectures in the academy, such as Zhu, a famous Neo-Confucianism master in the Song Dynasty. It is said that the word "Peace College" on the east gate of the existing Peace College was inscribed by Zhu. The development of peaceful history and culture education has created an atmosphere of peaceful learning for more than 1000 years, and the style of writing is booming, creating a group of outstanding people. For example, in the Song Dynasty, Cheng Huangtong of Dali, Huang Shen of Sinong, Shangguan Jun of Longge, the second in command, the compilation of national history of the Yuan Dynasty, and Huang Qinglao, a writer, all came from Heping Academy. Peace College can be said to be the cradle of talents in Shaonan. The book "Peace Academy" is still in the sleeves of the villagers.