Jiangnan Gongyuan: The Largest Imperial Examination Venue in China

Jiangnan Gongyuan, also known as Nanjing Gongyuan or Jiankang Gongyuan, was the largest and most influential imperial examination venue in Chinese history. It was the place for selecting scholars in the southern regions of China and one of the three major ancient architectural complexes in the Confucius Temple area, an important part of the Qinhuai scenic zone. Its vast scale and extensive grounds made it the foremost among the provincial Gongyuans in China, setting a record for ancient imperial examination venues. More than half of the officials during the Ming and Qing dynasties came from Jiangnan Gongyuan, earning it the reputation as the 'cradle of ancient Chinese officials'. The Jiangnan Gongyuan was founded in the fourth year of the Qiandao era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1168) and was expanded and renovated over successive dynasties, reaching its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. From its establishment until the abolition of the imperial examination in the late Qing Dynasty, the Jiangnan Gongyuan produced over eight hundred top scholars (Zhuangyuan), more than one hundred thousand Jinshi degree holders, and over a million Juren candidates. Famous figures from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Tang Bohu, Zheng Banqiao, Wu Jingzi, Shi Nai'an, Weng Tonghe, Zhang Jian, and Chen Duxiu all emerged from this institution, reflecting the prosperity of Jinling's culture.

Want to check out the 1978 college entrance examination real questions at the Imperial Examination Museum?

Come to Confucius Temple but don't want to be squeezed into the Qinhuai River? Do you know about the Chinese Imperial Examination Museum? Next to the Qinhuai River, beside the Confucius Temple, this place is the Jiangnan Gongyuan of the Ming and Qing dynasties, the big examination hall for candidates from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Anhui, and it is also a rare underground space museum. Highlights The top scorer's answer sheet, the handwriting is just like printed text, worthy of admiration. It turns out that ancient candidates also brought cheat sheets, Tang Bohu was involved in an examination fraud case. To write an exam essay in such a small cage for three days, even a genius would be driven mad. And finally, there is: the first set of real college entrance examination questions from the 1978 restoration! It was so much simpler than now! But considering that those candidates didn't have the conditions to attend school properly, it's understandable! Tips Go later in the afternoon, the museum is open until nine o'clock at night, and the night view around Confucius Temple is beautiful, better than during the day. If you go during the day, you can stroll around the nearby Lao Mendong, which I personally think is more beautiful than Confucius Temple, with fewer people, and you can also climb the Zhonghua Gate City Wall, a genuine Ming dynasty city wall!! Knowledge Points: The Chinese imperial examination, started in the Sui dynasty and ended in the Qing dynasty, lasted for more than a thousand years. Three top ranks: Zhuangyuan (top scorer), Bangyan (second place), and Tanhua (third place) Three levels: Zhuangyuan, Bangyan, Tanhua The path of advancement: Tongsheng—Xiucai—Juren—Gongshi—Jinshi Examinations: Academy Exam—Prefectural Exam—Provincial Exam—Palace Exam

The water towns of Jiangnan

The Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, located on the east side of the Confucian Temple Academy in Qinhuai District, Nanjing, also known as the Nanjing Imperial Examination Hall or Jiankang Imperial Examination Hall, is the largest and most influential imperial examination venue in Chinese history. It is the place where scholars were selected in the southern regions of China, and it is also one of the three major ancient architectural complexes in the Confucian Temple area, an important part of the Qinhuai scenic belt. Its scale and land area are the largest among all the provincial imperial examination halls in China, setting a record for ancient Chinese imperial examination venues. More than half of the officials nationwide during the Ming and Qing dynasties came from the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, earning it the reputation of being the 'cradle of ancient Chinese officials'. The Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall was first built in the fourth year of the Qiandao era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1168) and was expanded and renovated over successive dynasties. It reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, there were 20,644 examination cells alone, which could accommodate more than 20,000 candidates at the same time, plus hundreds of affiliated buildings, covering an area of over 300,000 square meters. In the thirty-first year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1905), Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong petitioned the Qing court to abolish the imperial examinations to promote schools and practical learning, and from then on, the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall ended its historical mission. From its establishment to the abolition of the imperial examinations in the late Qing Dynasty, the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall provided the nation with over 800 top scholars, more than 100,000 Jinshi degree holders, and over a million Juren degree holders. Famous figures from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Tang Bohu, Zheng Banqiao, Wu Jingzi, Shi Nai'an, Weng Tonghe, Zhang Jian, and Chen Duxiu all emerged from here, reflecting the prosperity of Jinling's culture. Built on the foundation of the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, the China Imperial Examination Museum is the only specialized museum in China that reflects the content of the Chinese imperial examination system. It is also the center of the Chinese imperial examination system, the center of Chinese imperial examination culture, and the center of Chinese imperial examination relic collection. The opened sections of the museum include the underground level, the Mingyuan Building, Zhigong Hall, examination cells, steles, and the Kuiguang Pavilion in the southern garden, comprising 11 exhibition halls. We stayed at the Jinling Hotel, just a few minutes' walk away, making it really convenient to visit. We originally didn't plan to come because there were many other places we wanted to visit, but my son wanted to see it, so we came. We don't regret it at all; this place is so worth bringing children to.

Imperial Examination museum

If you want to know everything about how the imperial examination started, this is the place! Very interesting. As a French girl, examination to work for the state is a big deal and now I know where it comes from ! #nanjing #China

The lights are on outside the Nanjing Imperial Examination Museum, where you can take photos with the little top scholar

The Imperial Examination Museum of China, located on the east side of the Confucian Temple Academy in Qinhuai District, Nanjing, lies in the core area of the Confucian Temple Qinhuai Scenic Belt. It serves as the center for China's imperial examination system, the cultural center of the imperial examinations, and the collection center for imperial examination artifacts. In the 2024 Qinhuai Lantern Festival, there are two giant dragons outside the Imperial Examination Museum, which are very eye-catching. Around 6 p.m., there is a crowd of people, and you need to queue up to take photos. Xuezi was in a hurry to wait, so she took a detour behind the two giant dragons to take photos. This saves time. The lights on both sides are still beautiful. The predecessor of the Chinese Imperial Examination Museum, the Jiangnan Gongyuan, was established after the fourth year of the Qiandao era of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1168 AD), and at that time it served as the examination site for county and prefectural schools. After the establishment of the Ming Dynasty and the capital was set in Jinling, it was changed to the site for the provincial and metropolitan examinations, and its scale was expanded. After Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty moved the capital to Beijing, it was specifically used as the site for the provincial examinations. During the heyday of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were more than 20,000 examination rooms, which could accommodate 20,644 candidates at the same time, and it was known as the largest imperial examination site in ancient China. You need to buy a ticket to enter this museum. The price for an adult ticket is 50 yuan. ✨Highlight features: The 38th Qinhuai Lantern Festival 'Lighting up Chinese lanterns, building the Chinese dream together' 📍Address information: 95 Gongyuan Street, Qinhuai District, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 🚗Traffic strategy: Walk 360 meters from Exit 2 of the Confucian Temple Station on Subway Line 3 🎫Ticket information: 50 yuan for an adult ticket

Museum | China Imperial Examination Museum·Jiangnan Gongyuan

🌟Highlights: National first-class museum, with new and old museums opposite each other. The new museum goes underground along the P2 passage, with a total of four floors, visited from top to bottom. The old museum mainly features the style of the Qinhuai River. It takes about 2 hours to visit both museums; it is quite suitable for children's knowledge popularization. 🌟Opening Information: 09:00-21:00 (Chinese statutory holidays 09:00-22:00) Address: No. 1 Jinling Road, Fuzimiao, Qinhuai District, Nanjing 🌈'Zhuangyuan' Plaque (P6) Qing Qianlong 34th year (1769) 1769 Collection Chen Chuzhe (1736-1787), courtesy name Zai Chu, passed the Jiangnan provincial examination in the 25th year of Qianlong, and was known as 'Er Chen' with his younger brother Chen Xizhe for their poetry. In the 34th year of Qianlong (1769), he was the top scholar in the imperial examination and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He served as a Dao member and twice as a joint examiner for the imperial examination. The Jiangnan Gongyuan in Jiankang (Nanjing) was established in the 4th year of Qiandao of Song Xiaozong (1168) by the prefect Shi Zhengzhi. It was originally a county school examination venue. After continuous expansion during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, by the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the Jiangnan Gongyuan had become a large-scale examination venue with 20,644 examination rooms, more than a thousand official rooms for chief examiners, supervisors, examiners, inspectors, joint examiners, and executive officials, plus dining rooms, warehouses, miscellaneous services, guards, and other rooms, as well as land for ponds, gardens, bridges, passages, and watchtowers. It was the largest examination venue in the country in terms of scale, land area, and number of buildings. China Imperial Examination Museum (Jiangnan Gongyuan)

Nanjing | Confucius Temple China Imperial Examination Museum

Nanjing Confucius Temple has really a lot of tourists, I visited the Imperial Examination Museum many years ago, and revisiting the old place has a different taste. The China Imperial Examination Museum is a national first-class museum, formerly known as the Jiangnan Gongyuan built in the Southern Song Dynasty, and the museum was opened for visit in 2014. The museum has three underground floors, and the content is quite rich. It has a good arrangement of the development of the imperial examination in various dynasties. It is more intuitive to look at it with cultural relics, and it is quite tiring to walk around. The scenic area is divided into the south courtyard and the north courtyard. The north courtyard is the museum. The south courtyard is on the opposite side close to the Qinhuai River. The entrance fee for the scenic area is 50 yuan. If a tour group passes by, you can listen to a guide.

Nanjing Confucius Temple is located in the city center, and visitors are gathering all day long. In addition to looking at the prosperity of the Qinhuai River, visitors will also take a look at the Jiangnan Gongyuan next door. Jiangnan Gongyuan has another name, the Chinese Imperial Examination Museum. The museum is brand new. It is located on the ground floor and has 4 floors. It introduces the history and development of the Chinese imperial examination system. Since the establishment of the Sui Dynasty and the end of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial examination system has existed for more than 1,300 years in Chinese history, and the largest examination room in the country. Jiangnan Gongyuan in Nanjing. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the talents of the Jiangnan area and the Jiangnan Gongyuan naturally became the cradle of officials. More than half of the officials in the country are from the Jiangnan Gongyuan. The Jiangnan Gongyuan was built in the Song Dynasty for four years (1168). It reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with more than 800 champions and more than 100,000 scholars. Many famous figures in history are also from here. The two generations of the Ming and Qing Dynasties such as Tang Bohu, Zheng Banqiao, Wu Jinglian, Shi Naiqi, Weng Tonghe, Zhang Wei, and Chen Duxiu all came from this. Mingyuan Building is the central building of the Gongyuan, and it is also the tallest building. It can be ordered and commanded, and it is also the place where the supervision and monitoring are conducted. It was built in the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt in the 13th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1534). Although it has been nearly 500 years old, it is still well preserved. During the heyday of the Jiangnan Gongyuan, there were only 20,644 exams, which could accommodate more than 20,000 candidates.