Songyang Academy is a famous ancient higher education institution in China, one of the four great academies of ancient China, part of the World Cultural Heritage 'Center of Heaven and Earth' historical architectural complex, and a national key cultural relic protection unit. It is located on the southern slope of Mount Song in Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou, Henan Province. The architecture of Songyang Academy is simple and elegant, with five main buildings along the central axis and complete corridors. Due to its unique nature as a Confucian educational building, Songyang Academy is referred to as a 'specimen' for studying ancient Chinese academy architecture, educational systems, and Confucian culture.
The Songyue Temple Pagoda is a 15-story dense-eaves brick pagoda with a dodecagonal plan, standing 37 meters tall. It consists of a base platform, the pagoda body, 15 layers of overlapping brick eaves, and the pagoda finial. The pagoda body is divided into upper and lower parts. The upper part has arched doors on the east, west, south, and north sides leading to the central chamber. The lower part is vertically straight with no exterior decorations. Above the pagoda body are 15 layers of dense eaves, which gradually recede upwards, forming a gentle parabolic shape. The finial consists of a base, an inverted lotus, a Sumeru pedestal, an upright lotus, a wheel, and a jewel. There is an underground palace beneath the pagoda. The Songyue Temple Pagoda is the oldest existing brick pagoda in China, reflecting the process of cultural exchange and innovation between Chinese and foreign architectural traditions. It holds significant value in terms of structure and design, and has had a profound influence on subsequent brick pagoda architecture.
It is said to have been built in the 14th year of Yongping during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty (71 AD). The temple is located in the scenic area of Mount Song and is one of the famous temples in the country. In 1987, the ancient temple was renovated, restoring the temple area to over 60,000 square meters, with more than 5,000 square meters of halls rebuilt and 47 statues of deities restored.
Huishan Temple is located 6 kilometers north of Dengfeng City, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, at the southern foot of Jicui Peak in Mount Song. It was first built during the period of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (471-499 AD). It served as the ordination center for monks in the ancient Mount Song area and is known as one of the four major temples of Mount Song, along with Shaolin Temple, Fawang Temple, and Songyue Temple.
