Li Ying College Explained

Li Ying College
Established:	circa 1075 AD
Type:	Chinese Imperial
Head Of School:	Tang Fu Hsieh
Location:	Present day Kam Tin, Hong Kong

Li-Ying College was the first recorded academy in Imperial Hong Kong. It was founded circa 1075AD during the Song Dynasty (9601279).^[1]

History

The founder (Cantonese: Tang Fu Heep) was a native of Jiangsu province in mainland China. The school was located in the area known today as Kai Kung Leng (Chinese: 雞公嶺) Kam Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. The academy was well known for its large library of Chinese classics. In imperial times, academies were designed with a strong emphasis on the Imperial examination system used to prepare scholar-officials for government work. By the time of the Qing dynasty (16441911), the Chinese government in 1662 and 1664 closed down schools as a strategy to counter Ming dynasty (13681644) loyalists. The academy was in ruins by the early 19th century.

Notable alumni

• 1259 - The first jìnshì (Chinese: 进士) degree under the Imperial examination system was granted to "Huang Shih".
• 1685 - A descendant of the founder, "Tang Wen Wei" was granted a jìnshì degree and was appointed district magistracy in Zhejiang.
• 1754 - Chiang Shih Yuan from the Tai Po District earned a jìnshì degree and became well known for his literary accomplishments in southern China.
• 1789 - Tang Ying Yuen (Tang Kuen Hin), a well-known local calligrapher, passed his military examination. He later built the "So Lay Yuen Study Hall" at "Shui Tau Tsuen" in Kam Tin.

See also

• History of education in China
• Imperial Hong Kong
• List of the oldest schools in the world

Notes and References

1. Book: Sweeting. A.E.. Education in Hong Kong, Pre-1841 to 1941: Fact and Opinion. 1 May 1990. Hong Kong University Press. 9789622092587. 22 May 2016. English.