Taishan Mingzhi Academy

Established in 1764, this historic private school is one of the oldest school in northern Taiwan. Now embedded in the matrix of suburban Taishan, this humble schoolhouse was initially part of a movement to improve education and local governance, aiming to foster a scholarly environment in a region far from the main administrative centers.

Date CapturedNovember 6th, 2018 at 06:34 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 8Shutter Speed1/250 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value14.0 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedNovember 6th, 2018 at 06:35 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 9Shutter Speed1/320 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value14.7 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

In 1781 the academy was relocated to what is now Hsinchu City, becoming a prominent institution of higher learning in the region¹. The original location in Taishan was demoted to a mere branch of the academy but it continued to operate in some capacity for many years, though its later history is poorly attested in available records.

Date CapturedNovember 6th, 2018 at 06:39 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 3.5Shutter Speed1/30 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO140Exposure Value8.5 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Date CapturedNovember 6th, 2018 at 06:44 UTCCameraNIKON D3100LensAF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR IIApertureƒ / 10Shutter Speed1/400 secFocal Length18.0 mmISO100Exposure Value15.3 EVOriginal Size3600 × 2400

Mingzhi Academy collapsed in 2003 after it was severely damaged in a storm. The wooden beams had rotted through after so many humid winters and summer typhoons. It was designated a heritage site and rebuilt a few years later according to archival plans and photographs but now lacks an ambience of real antiquity. A ritual paper incinerator is also displayed out front, but it isn’t clear whether this was an original feature of the school, a relocation, or a recent addition for show.

Footnotes

1. The more famous academy in Hsinchu was later destroyed during a road-widening project. ↩