Chongming Academy

Chongming Academy is located in Chengqiao Town on Chongming Island, directly opposite to Yingzhou Pa[...]

Chongming Academy is located in Chengqiao Town on Chongming Island, directly opposite to Yingzhou Park. It is an ancient site dedicated to the worship of Confucius and a government-run local school, also one of the three well-preserved Confucian temples in Shanghai (the other two being the Shanghai Confucian Temple and the Jiading Confucian Temple).
Today, visitors can see the archways, official halls, main halls, and memorial halls within the academy, which form a group of Ming and Qing dynasty architectural complexes. Several of the main buildings have now become exhibition halls of the Chongming Museum, which are the main attractions within the academy.

On the left and right sides in front of the main gate of the academy, there are two tall archways, both built during the Kangxi period of the Qing dynasty. The eastern archway is inscribed with ‘The Way Surpasses Past and Present’ and ‘The Sea of Learning’, while the western one is inscribed with ‘Virtue Matches Heaven and Earth’ and ‘The Ancestral Court’, both exuding a strong Confucian atmosphere.

Entering the main gate of the academy, Lingxing Gate, the environment inside is serene, with statues of Confucius and his four disciples, as well as stone bridges, ponds, and corridors, which are part of the architectural landscape. Chongming Academy is not large, and it is not crowded with tourists. It is a pleasant place to walk around and experience the historical and cultural atmosphere.

The Chongming Museum currently has two exhibition areas: ‘History of Chongming Island and Ancient Ships’ and ‘Chongming Folk Customs’, with a rich variety of exhibits. The Dacheng Hall, the main building of the academy and originally the primary venue for worshipping Confucius, along with the ancient buildings Dongwu and Xiwu on the east and west sides of the Dacheng Hall, which were originally places for listing the positions of Confucius’s disciples and Confucian scholars of all dynasties, are now exhibition halls displaying ‘History of Chongming Island and Ancient Ships’.

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Visitors can see various models, sand tables, cultural relics, and textual explanations, showcasing the construction, development, and achievements of Chongming Island in all aspects. The two Tang and Song dynasty ancient ships exhibited here are precious cultural relics in the Shanghai area and can be considered the treasures of the museum.

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The Zunjing Pavilion in the academy was once a place for storing Confucian classics, and the Chongsheng Temple was a place for worshipping Confucius’s parents. Now, these two buildings serve as exhibition halls for ‘Chongming Folk Customs’. Here, visitors can see the layout of towns, folk family room arrangements, as well as various agricultural, textile tools, folk costumes, and wax figures, recreating the working and living scenes of the people of Chongming.

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In addition, the museum also has a permanent exhibition, ‘Huang Pimo Art Museum’, displaying 60 exquisite print works created by the painter Mr. Huang Pimo (from Chongming).

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Opening hours: All year round, Tuesday to Sunday 09:00-16:30; all year round, Monday closed; Spring Festival 09:00-16:30.

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