China News Service, Guangzhou, October 26 (Reporter Cheng Jingwei) "Spring Breeze Happy Horseshoe Disease-Guangdong Zhuangyuan Culture Exhibition" was held on the 26th in the adjacent exhibition hall on the second floor of Guangzhou Lu Xun Memorial Hall.
The exhibition systematically explores and sorts out the cultural resources of Guangdong's imperial examinations through the "Birth of a No. 1 Scholar", "Those Things of the No. 1 Scholar in Guangdong", and "Times of the No. 1 Scholar Culture in Progress".
The imperial examination system is the basic system for the selection of officials in ancient China. It began in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, was complete in the Song Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It lasted for more than 1,300 years in Chinese history. The construction of traditional society has a huge impact.
According to reports, the "subject" in the "imperial examination" refers to subjects, "ju" means selection, and "imperial examination" means "division of civil servants". Talents are selected through the establishment of subject examinations.
Photo courtesy of Lu Xun Memorial Hall, Guangzhou Lu Xun Memorial Hall
"Champion Scholar" is the highest honor in ancient Chinese academic titles, referring to the first place in the imperial examination hall examination.
The number one scholar in China is known as the "Dakui Tianxia", and "the number one scholar and the first" is the lifelong pursuit of the ancient scholars.
The champion culture formed around "the champion and the champion", with respect for knowledge and culture as the value orientation and idealism as the spiritual pursuit, penetrates into all aspects of ancient social life, and has an impact on the present.
The reporter learned from the exhibition that in the 1,300 years since the opening of the Imperial Examination in the Sui and Tang Dynasties to the last imperial examination in Jiachen in the 30th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1904), Guangdong had a total of 9 Wen champions and 5 Wu champions.
With their perseverance and hardworking spirit, they were named on the gold list and brought supreme glory to their families and regions; they took the Confucian benevolence and morality as their spiritual beliefs, displayed ambitions in different fields, and carved their own figures in history.
List of No. 1 Scholars in Guangdong Photo courtesy of Guangzhou Lu Xun Memorial Hall
From the perspective of dynasties, the Ming and Qing Dynasties accounted for the majority of the 14 champions in civil and military affairs.
In the Ming Dynasty, 4 Cantonese were among the top champions; in the Qing Dynasty, 7 Cantonese were among the top champions.
There is one Cantonese champion in the Tang, Southern Han and Southern Song dynasties.
Judging from the place of origin, Shunde and Nanhai in Guangdong are rich in champions, with 3 champions each, and both of them are 2 literary champions and 1 military champion.
Panyu also produced 2 Wen Zhuangyuan.
Haiyang (now Chaozhou) came out with two champions, one scholar and one martial artist.
According to the exhibition, many Guangdong champions have been known as "child prodigies" in their villages since they were young. They are talented and at the same time more diligent and hardworking.
Mo Xuanqing, the first champion in Guangdong history (834-868 AD), was the middle champion at the age of 17.
He was born in Fengkai, Zhaoqing. At the age of 7, he could reciting poetry and composing antitheses. At the age of 12, he took the imperial examination to be a talented scholar and was hailed as a "child prodigy" by the villagers.
At the age of 17, he went to the capital for scientific research and was selected as the champion by the emperor.
He was first awarded to Hanlin, but Taizhou was later closed.
Yingcai died young. When he returned to his hometown and took his mother and wife to take office in Taizhou, he unfortunately passed away on the way. He was only 34 years old.
The last champion in Guangdong history was Liang Yaoshu. He was the champion in the ten years of Tongzhi and served as the editor of the Imperial Academy and the chief examiner of the Hubei Provincial Examination.
Cixi once praised: "Liang Yaoshu, a gentleman of gold and jade!" Therefore, Liang Yaoshu is also known as "the champion of gold and jade."
Among the No. 1 scholars in Guangdong, the Lun Wenxu family of the Ming Dynasty received the “first in the Central Plains” from the emperor at that time.
When Lun Wenxu was a child, he was known as a child prodigy, anxious talent, and a ghost talent.
After he became the champion, his three sons later also obtained Jinshi. At that time, it was said: "Four Jinshi for one discipline, three yuan for father and son."
How did the champion come into being?
According to the exhibition, the candidates of the Ming and Qing dynasties on the road to obtain fame in the imperial examinations generally have to pass four levels of examinations, namely, child examination, township examination, general examination, and palace examination. The long study and examination career came to an end, and a "champion" was born.
The reporter noticed that this exhibition exhibited the big announcement of the fifth question in the third session of the Guangxu Guisi Enke Guangdong Provincial Examination in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty Jieyuan plaque, the admission and licensing of the Qing Dynasty Gongyuan, the Qing Dynasty children's exam and the list, and A batch of exhibits such as the "Meng Xun Dingtong" of the Qing Private School Yangzheng Hall.
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