Kaohsiung's Fongyi Academy

Fengshan County in the Qing Dynasty was separated into a New City and an Old City. Fongyi Academy was built at the Old City, which was settled in Xinglong Village (today’s Zuoying), which was destroyed during the Lin Shuangwen rebellion incident, and Pingshan Academy in the Village was consequently also brought down amidst the flames during the war. As a result, in Jiaqing 19 (1814), Fongyi Academy was established in the New City (today’s Fengshan).

Construction of Fongyi Academy was initiated through the advocacy of Zhixian (County Magistrate) Wu Hsing-cheng. A local gentlemen’s group – Fenshe made the donations and teachers trainer Suigongsheng Chang Ting-chin was responsible for the actual construction. Besides the function of teaching, Fongyi Academy also housed or served the purposes of the Wenchang Temple, Words Respecting Pavilion, examination venue, emergency food storage, Caogong Temple, Wuzi Temple and free school. It had also once been the location of the “Bureau of Nurturing Nobleness and Interviewing” that was meant to mediate litigations. Furthermore, in Xianfeng 3 (1853), it was even used as the location of the Grand Council during the Lin Gong’s uprising. In Guangxu 17 (1891), “First-Degree Scholar” Juren Lu De-hsiang made renovations to the place, and it was the only renovation record found so far in historical documents.
　During the period of Japanese rule, the Academy had served as the Imperial Japanese Army Tainan Military Hospital – Fengshan Branch, silk worm farms and Fengshan County Office dormitory. After World War II, the property rights were transferred to be used as the Education Property Fund of the Ministry of Education. The land was rented, and the occupants moved in; additional structures and facilities were also built for residential use. In 1985, the Ministry of the Interior designated Fongyi Academy as a historic site. The Bureau of Cultural Affairs obtained the land management rights in 2005 and spent three years helping the renters living at the Academy to move and for the additional structures to be removed. In 2009, the Academy’s overall renovation construction officially began and was completed in 2013.


After Fongyi Academy was refurbished, in addition to displaying the original appearance of the historic site, the Academy also then possessed modernized facilities. In terms of re-using, the Academy’s original functions were made as centerpieces and its ambiance was also taken into consideration for the planning. The Academy’s operations, introduction of imperial examinations, history of Fengshan and Fongyi Academy and other displays are all included as part of the exhibition. Among all the existing Academies in Taiwan being revitalized, Fongyi is considered the oldest, most comprehensive and grandest Academy.