Ming Chih University Introduction
Taiwan's academies were gradually established during the Qing Dynasty as local educational institutions. Located at the intersection of Mingzhi Road Section 2 and Xinsheng Road, the "Beitai Shouxue" Mingzhi Academy was donated by Hu Zhuoyou, a scholar from Yongding, Fujian. At that time, it was quite substantial; however, the government later relocated the academy to Hsinchu, renaming it as Xinzhuang Mountain Foot Yidian. The Mingzhi Academy is the first academy in northern Taiwan, predating the establishment of Wenhái Academy (Xuehai Academy) in Mengjia by 70 years. The original Mingzhi Academy was quite large, featuring a main hall with five openings and a total of 12 side rooms. After several renovations over the years, the area surrounding the academy has now been enveloped by residences, leaving only the main hall and two side rooms. Today, the main hall houses the altars of "Ziyang Zhu Fuzi" and "Scholar Hu Zhuoyou," while the walls on either side display the history of the academy and the process of its architectural restoration, reflecting its significant position in the cultural and educational history of northern Taiwan. Following the path paved with flagstones from the Mingzhi Academy will lead you to the Yixue Keng Natural Ecological Park, where you can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery.
