Dengfeng: Songyang Academy: A Confucian Sanctuary Steeped in a Thousand Years of Scholarly Fragrance

Songyang Academy in Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, is an ancient institution of learning that was first built in the eighth year of the Taihe period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (484 AD). It is one of the four great ancient academies in China and one of the birthplaces of Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism. Strolling through the courtyards with their gray bricks and tiles, you can not only feel the spirit of seeking knowledge like Cheng Yi who stood in the snow, but also touch the 4,500-year-old General Cypress. Every brick and tile is engraved with the profoundness of Central Plains culture. 📜Historical Exploration and Cultural Experience Must-See Cultural Relics: • Great Tang Stele: A Tang Dynasty official script stele with a height of 9.02m, recording the story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang refining elixirs. The inscription was written by the Prime Minister Li Linfu and calligraphed by the calligrapher Xu Hao. It is known as the "King of Steles in Mount Song". • General Cypress: The 4,500-year-old "Second General Cypress" has branches like wings, and the tree hole can accommodate five or six people. According to legend, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named the cypress tree as a general, which caused the "Third General Cypress" to be struck by lightning. • Two Cheng Planted Chinese Scholar Tree: Planted by Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi of the Northern Song Dynasty when they lectured here. Although the trunk is rugged, the branches and leaves are still lush, witnessing the inheritance of Neo-Confucianism. Featured activities: • Paying Respects to Confucius Ceremony: Perform traditional rituals to the statue of Confucius in the Hall of the Sage, recite excerpts from The Great Learning, and experience the scene of ancient students paying respects to their teachers. • Stele Rubbing: For CNY 30, you can experience the fun of "moving" thousands of years of text onto rice paper and take away an exclusive cultural souvenir. 🍜Food and Accommodation Recommendations Dengfeng Specialties: • Dengfeng Baked Wheat Cake: Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich sesame aroma. It costs CNY 5 per person to fill your stomach. • Braised Mutton: The soup is fresh and the meat is tender, served with special chili sauce. It costs CNY 30 per person. • Mustard Silk: A crisp and appetizing pickle, you can buy a large jar for CNY 15. Recommended Accommodation: • Manhattan Plaza Hotel (Trip.com from CNY 350/night): A 10-minute walk to the academy, the corridor retains elements of the old Zhengzhou Textile Factory. • Songshan Hotel (Trip.com from CNY 600/night): Adjacent to Songyang Scenic Area, a Soviet-style building complex built in 1954, the rooms offer a panoramic view of the academy. 💰Tickets and Opening Hours • Adult Ticket: CNY 30 (half price for students/seniors), you need to make a booking through the "Songyang Academy" official account. • Opening Hours: 8:00-18:30, it is recommended to end the tour before 16:00 to avoid missing the sunset. 🚌Transportation Guide • Self-driving: Navigate to "Songyang Academy parking lot", it is recommended to arrive before 9:00 on weekends. • Bus: Take bus No. 1/6 from Dengfeng city to the Academy Station, the journey takes about 20 minutes. • Subway: There is no direct line for the time being. It is recommended to charter a car or share a car (about CNY 80/person). Songyang Academy is not only a living fossil of the ancient education system, but also a cultural scroll written with history, words and food. This spring, why not use the academy as paper, measure the depth of Central Plains civilization with your footsteps, and capture the wrinkles of a thousand years of time with your lens? 🌿📖