Bailudong Academy, originally established in 940 AD, is located to the southeast of Wulaofeng. It covers a mountainous area of 3,000 mu and has a construction area of 3,800 square meters. This academy, surrounded by mountains and waters, exudes tranquility and profundity and is a key cultural relics protection unit in China.
During the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenyuan period, Li Bo, the governor of Jiangzhou, sequestered himself here to study and raised a white deer for amusement, earning him the title ‘Mr. White Deer’. He built terraces and planted flowers and trees. The Southern Tang court established Mount Lu’s national academy here, and through the vicissitudes of history, the academy experienced periods of rise and fall. It was not until the Southern Song Dynasty, when Zhu Xi, a Neo-Confucian scholar, revitalized the academy as the governor of Nankang.
The existing architectural complex of Bailudong Academy is built along the Guandao Stream from west to east, consisting of the academy’s gate tower, Ziyang Academy, Bailu Academy, and Yanbin Hall, among other buildings. The structures all face north to south, are made of stone, wood, or brick and wood, and feature gable roofs, giving off an air of elegance and simplicity.
As one of the four great academies in China, Zhu Xi, a Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar, rebuilt the academy and personally lectured here. The four great academies of China are: Bailudong Academy on Mount Lu in Jiangxi, Yue Lu Academy in Changsha, Hunan, Shigu Academy in Hengyang, Hunan (destroyed during the Anti-Japanese War and replaced in 1998 by Songyang Academy in Dengfeng, Henan), and Yingtian Academy in Shangqiu, Henan.The academy is open to the public throughout the year from 08:00 to 17:00.
Preferential policies:
– Children: Free for those who are 6 years old (inclusive) or under 1.2 meters (inclusive) in height; half price for those between 1.2 meters (inclusive) and 1.4 meters (inclusive).
– Students: Half price for students from primary to university level with a valid student ID.
– Elderly: Free for those 65 years old (inclusive) or above with a valid ID or senior citizen card.
– Military personnel: Free for active-duty soldiers with valid documents.
– Journalists: Free with a press card from the provincial level or above.
– Retired military personnel: Free with valid documents.
– Disabled individuals: Free with valid documents.
– Youths: Half price for minors aged between 6 years old (exclusive) and 18 years old (inclusive) with valid documents.
