Confucian Academies in Taiwan

Confucian academies or shuyuan (書院) were institutions of classical learning founded across Taiwan during the Qing dynasty era, roughly sixty in number between 1683 and the Japanese invasion in 1895. Some were established by government officials, others by local gentry and prominent families who pooled resources to school their own communities, but all taught the Confucian classics in preparation for the imperial examinations. Such academies often housed altars to Wenchang (文昌) and Kuixing (魁星), the gods of culture. Under Japanese colonial rule the education system was completely reorganized, stripping these academies of their function, and most sites underwent transformations over the years into residences, temples, or other uses. A small number of the original academies survived to the present day and are preserved as heritage sites including Wenkai Academy in Lukang, Daodong Academy in Hemei, and Fongyi Academy in Fengshan.