Xīngzǐ

Xingzi stands between Lake Poyang and the southern slopes of Mount Lu, the seat of historic Nankang. Beneath the Five Old Men Peaks lies White Deer Grotto Academy, a celebrated place of learning amid streams and wooded hills. Its name recalls a Tang scholar said to have kept a white deer while studying in the mountains.

In 1179 the Song philosopher Zhu Xi became governor of Nankang and set about restoring the academy. He taught there and established rules for study and conduct that influenced academies across China. The buildings were repaired repeatedly during the Ming and Qing, and students travelled from distant provinces to attend lectures, keeping the mountain retreat connected to a much wider scholarly world.