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Xiushui Village: Home of Palace Graduates
Updated: 2007-07-04 08:39
Xiushui Village, situated in Chaodong Township, Fuchuan County, Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, has been known for many generations as a
village of palace graduates. In recent years, some of its young residents
have enrolled in many of China's most famous universities, including
Tsinghua and Peking universities.
A Treasured Place
In the 13th year of Tang Emperor Li Longji's reign (712-756), Mao Zhong,
then-governor of the ancient Ci Prefecture of Zhejiang Province, arrived
at what is today's Xiushui Village to conduct an inspection. Mao was
surprised by the beautiful landscape-the mountains and rivers, vast land,
verdant and luxuriant trees, singing birds and fragrant flowers. He
decided that it was a treasured place, and that he would live there
during his retirement.
Years later, Mao realized his dream. He built a home, with the help of
his youngest son, Mao Fu, at foot of Carp Mountain, beside Xiushui River.
Today, the place is called Bafang Village, and it is one of the four
sections of Xiushui Village. Since then, Mao's family has prospered and
grown, generation after generation.
Mao Zhong had been a palace graduate, and his title had been bestowed on
him by an emperor during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Mao's principle of
"maintaining family prosperity through plowing and education" was passed
down from generation to generation.
In Xiushui Village, there are many ancient buildings.
During the Song Dynasty (960-1279), one of Mao's offspring, Mao Ji, who
was a palace graduate and chief of the Guiji Prefecture, in today's
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, donated some of his salary to help
construct the Jiangdong Academy of Classical Learning. The naturally
developed stone room, on Lingshan Mountain, beside the Xiushui River,
served as the academy's main structure. Since then, reading has been very
popular in the area. In fact, the Annals of Fuchuan County indicate, from
the Tang Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty (1644-1911), the county has produced
27 palace graduates; of them, 22 were from Xiushui Village. The most
famous of those graduates was Mao Zizhi, who was the No. 1 scholar during
the Song Dynasty. The villagers constructed a building and erected a
statute in his honor.
Some builidngs were erected in honor of Xiushui Village's palace
graduates.
Education is Paramount
Xiushui, known as the village of palace graduates, has been continuously
supplying society with talented people. According to some elderly people
in the village, the residents, even though they aren't affluent, attach
great importance to education. The small village has three academies of
classical learning.
The villagers are doing everything within their power to support their
children's education. The village's officials have raised money to
promote education. Children who enroll in the schools, regardless of the
level, receive scholarship. The villagers also help poor college students
stay in school.
Each year, after the list of successful college-entrance candidates is
released, the villagers show movies and perform operas to congratulate
the students. For those who failed the examination, their parents
encourage them to try another time or look for other opportunities. In
recent years, many of the young villagers have enrolled in some of
China's most famous universities, including Tsinghua and Peking
universities.
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