Inspirations of Qing Dynasty Academies for Modern Education:  Case Study of Tongxiang Academy

The development of academies in the Qing Dynasty, during their process of officialization, presents a complex picture, and their management and teaching philosophies contain rich educational wisdom. Tongxiang Academy, founded in the late Qing Dynasty by local scholars represented by Dai Junheng, serves as a typical case for examining the operation and educational thought of Qing Dynasty academies. This paper employs historical document research and case analysis, using original documents such as the Tongxiang Academy Chronicle as core historical materials to trace the founding background, management norms, and educational philosophy of Tongxiang Academy, and to explore its practices and characteristics within the specific historical context of the Qing Dynasty. We found that, under the background of high officialization, Tongxiang Academy achieved a balance between standardized and autonomous management through the formulation of detailed regulations including 42 articles on curriculum examples, rules, and board members. The core of its educational philosophy was "understanding the classics for practical application," emphasizing the cultivation of talents with both moral character and practical abilities, based on classical studies, within the academic atmosphere of the Han and Song dynasties, responding to the social demand for practical learning since the Daoguang era. Taking the Tongxiang Academy, founded by Dai Junheng and like-minded individuals during the Qing Dynasty, as an example, we illustrate their efforts in passing on the wisdom of ancient sages and deeply embedding Chinese culture and academic thought into people's hearts through academy education, using history to support the present.