Li Xue Tang Da Shu Yuan Introduction
The Li Learning Hall, also known as the Oxford Academy, was completed in 1882 and served as a base for training personnel in missionary work, medicine, and education by the church at that time. Dr. Mackay named it after his hometown, Oxford, to express gratitude for the support from his fellow townsmen. Between 1872 and 1880, Dr. Mackay taught outdoors by the roadside, under banyan trees, by streams, or by the sea. Recognizing the importance of establishing a school, he raised funds for its construction while returning to Canada in 1880 and began building the school upon his return to Tamsui. The Oxford Academy can be considered the cradle of institutions like Tunghai University and Tamkang High School. It boasts rich traditional Chinese architectural features, designed personally by Dr. Mackay, with a balanced and symmetrical layout facing south. It features eight small pagodas on the roof in place of a cross. The overall construction utilized clear water bricks and Minnan tiles, both imported from Xiamen. The small red bricks were coated with paint for weather protection and were slightly flatter and longer than local bricks. The rammed earth was made from steamed glutinous rice mixed with lime and syrup. It is currently designated as a national second-level historic site.
