Wang's Ancestral Hall

Wang's Ancestral Hall, also known as Baron Wong's Hall, is one of the earliest and largest ancestral halls in Jiangyan. This hall mainly serves as the place for sacrificing Wang Gen, Wang Dong and Wang Bi, the so-called "Three Sages of the Wangs in Huainan" in history. Also, it was an important site where Taizhou School gave lectures. This hall in Taizhou style is a well-preserved ancient building with a long history, profound cultural deposits and characteristics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

READING BUILDING

Taizhou School was a civil school created by Wang Gen in the Sixth Year of Jiajing Period (1527) and its presence extended all the way into 1630s. During more than 100 years of prosperity, Taizhou School developed many academic thoughts in philosophy, society, ethics, education and many other fields in which Wang Gen's "the Tao of sages lie in common people's life" and "the settlement of life" reflect the shinning points in his thoughts and the substance of the School, characterized with distinct affinity to the people.

GUICAI COTTAGE

Wang Gen (1483-1541), formerly called Yin, styled himself Ruzhi and named himself Xinzhai. He was an influential civilian philosophy and illuminative educator, as well as the founder of Taizhou School. He gave lectures in Guangde Fuchu Academy, Taizhou Anding Academy, Jinlin Xinquan Academy, Yangzhou Ganquan Academy, Anfeng Dongtao Vihara and other places. His thoughts impose huge influences on the Chinese society after the middle period of the Ming Dynasty and even continue to be a big part of the New Culture Movement (also known as China's May Fourth Movement). Here preserved The Complete works of Wang Xinzhai and other valuable books.

Wang Dong's Bronze Statue

Wang Dong, styled himself Longji and named himself Yi'an, was a younger of Wang Gen in the clan. As a great scholar, a famous thinker and an educator, he served as teacher in Shandong Tai'an Prefecture School, normal teacher in Nanfeng, Jiangxi, and Xuezheng (a kind of educational officer in ancient China) of Shen Prefecture. After retiring from office and returning to private life, the scholar got back to Jiangyan and then established Guicai Cottage where he gave lectures and preached. Wang Dong was employed as the lecturer of the White Deer's Hole Academy", Nanchang Zhengxue Academy and Taizhou Anding Academy. Besides, he was known as a "giant scholar" of Taizhou School and wrote many books like Wang Yi'an Collection, The Ancestral Hall Chronicles, etc.

GALLERY OF CELEBRITIES OF THE WANGS

Wang Bi (1511—1587), styled himself Zongshun and named himself Dongya, was the second son of Wang Gen, as well as the one who propagated and carried forward the thought of Taizhou School. He acted as a lecturer in Nanchuang Ningguo Shuixi Academy, Jiangxi Ji'an Academy, Xinghua, Fujian, Jianning Academy, as well as many other academies in Suzhou, Yizhen, Jinlin and so on. Wang Bi never took imperial examinations of the Qing Dynasty and stuck to taught in the private sector.