Li-Ying College was the first recorded academy in Imperial Hong Kong. It was founded circa 1075AD during the

Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

(9601279).

History

The founder () (

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding are ...

: Tang Fu Heep) was a native of

Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, Postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an Eastern China, eastern coastal Provinces of the People's Republic of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is o ...

province in mainland

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. The school was located in the area known today as

Kai Kung Leng Kai Kung Leng () is a mountain range in Lam Tsuen Country Park, New Territories, Hong Kong. Geography There are several peaks on this mountain range. The tallest peak on the Kai Kung Leng mountain range is called Lo Tin Teng and is above sea ...

()

Kam Tin Kam Tin, or Kam Tin Heung, is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It lies on a flat alluvial plain north of Tai Mo Shan mountain and east of Yuen Long town. It was formerly known as Sham Tin (岑田). Administratively, it is part o ...

, New Territories, Hong Kong. The academy was well known for its large library of

Chinese classics Chinese classic texts or canonical texts () or simply dianji (典籍) refers to the Chinese texts which originated before the imperial unification by the Qin dynasty in 221 BC, particularly the "Four Books and Five Classics" of the Neo-Confucian ...

. In imperial times, academies were designed with a strong emphasis on the

Imperial examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...

system used to prepare

scholar-official The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...

s for government work. By the time of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

(16441911), the Chinese government in 1662 and 1664 closed down schools as a strategy to counter

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

(13681644) loyalists. The academy was in ruins by the early 19th century.

Notable alumni

* 1259 - The first ''jìnshì'' () degree under the Imperial examination system was granted to "Huang Shih". * 1685 - A descendant of the founder, "Tang Wen Wei" was granted a ''jìnshì'' degree and was appointed district

magistracy A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions, all criminal proceedings start. Also some civil matters may be dealt with here, such as family proceedings. Courts * Magistrates' court (England and Wales) * Magistrate's Cou ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

. * 1754 - Chiang Shih Yuan from the

Tai Po District Tai Po District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The suburban district covers the areas of Tai Po New Town (including areas such as Tai Po Market, , Tai Po Industrial Estate, Tai Wo Estate), Tai Po Tau, Tai Po Kau, Hong Lok Yuen, Ti ...

earned a ''jìnshì'' degree and became well known for his literary accomplishments in southern China. * 1789 - Tang Ying Yuen (Tang Kuen Hin), a well-known local calligrapher, passed his military examination. He later built the "So Lay Yuen Study Hall" at "Shui Tau Tsuen" in

References

{{authority control Kam Tin Government schools in Hong Kong Educational institutions established in the 11th century Universities and colleges in Hong Kong 1075 establishments in Asia 11th-century establishments in China

History

Notable alumni

See also

References