Tongjiang Academy—the number one academy in the south of the Yangtze River

Tongjiang Academy was established during the Qiandao era of the Song Dynasty (1165—1173 AD) by the eighth-generation descendant of the late Tang Dynasty poet Fang Gan, Fang Zuo, who funded its creation. Named 'Tongjiang' because his ancestor Fang Gan was from Tonglu, in 1156, Zhu Xi visited Xianju and brought his son (Zhu Ye) to Po Tan to inspect and lecture, which made it famous throughout the south of the Yangtze River, hence it was known as 'the number one academy in the south of the Yangtze River'.