Songyang Academy, a World Cultural Heritage Site -- Shaolin Temple Songyang Scenic Area in Dengfeng

🌈Location: 2.5 kilometers north of Dengfeng city center, at the southern foot of Mount Song, under the peak of Junji in the Songyang Scenic Area 🌈Transportation: From Zhengzhou Railway Station East Square, take a bus from Zhengzhou to Dengfeng at the Zhengzhou Bus Central Station. The bus fare is 28 yuan and it takes about 2 hours to reach Dengfeng Bus Central Station. Then transfer to a minibus from Dengfeng to Shaolin Temple for 5 yuan, and it takes about 15 minutes to arrive at the Songyang Academy scenic spot. 🌈Tour Time: 1.5 hours 🌈Ticket Price: 30 yuan per adult, free entry for seniors over 60 and disabled persons with ID, free for children under 1.4 meters in height 🌈Opening Hours: Winter: 9 am to 4 pm Summer: 9 am to 5 pm 🌈Notice: 1. Protect cultural relics, do not scribble; 2. Do not spit or litter peels, paper scraps, and trash, keep the environment clean; 3. Be careful on stairs to ensure personal safety; 4. Visit in an orderly manner, do not make loud noises; 5. Do not throw cigarette butts to prevent fires. 🌈Songyang Academy is one of the eight sites and eleven items of the 'Center of Heaven and Earth' historical architectural complex in Dengfeng, a World Cultural Heritage site. It is a national 4A-level tourist attraction, a key national cultural relic protection unit, and a base for patriotic education. Named for its location on the sunny side of Mount Song, it is one of China's ancient famous institutions of higher learning. Founded in 484 AD, it is the earliest and most influential of the four great academies in China. It was one of the birthplaces of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty and a major site for Confucian and Taoist activities. There are more than 500 existing halls and rooms, covering an area of 10,084.4 square meters, 78.6 meters wide from east to west, and 128.3 meters long from north to south. Historical figures such as Sima Guang, Fan Zhongyan, and the Cheng brothers lectured here, cultivating a large number of talented and virtuous people. Among them, volumes 9 to 21 of Sima Guang's monumental work 'Zizhi Tongjian' were completed at Songyang Academy, and the famous Confucian anecdote 'Cheng Men Li Xue' also took place here. 🌈Upon arrival, what catches the eye is the golden splendor of the four characters 'Gao Shan Yang Zhi' above the gate, shining brightly in the sunlight. Here, ancient trees reach the sky, the air is fresh, and the scenery is beautiful with mountains and water. The various buildings are antique and tiered. Not only can you see the tall and majestic Tang Dynasty steles, but also the 4500-year-old, nationally renowned 'General Cypress'. Moreover, you can see buildings with different architectural styles such as Xianshi Hall, Sanxian Shrine, Lizhe Hall, Daoxing Shrine, Boyue Zhai, and Sanyi Zhai, and the library. It's as if you've traveled through a thousand years of time and space, immersing yourself in the teachings of the sages and the clear sound of students reading, inspiring countless Chinese students to come here for a pilgrimage, study, and sightseeing. It's truly a worthwhile trip, an eye-opening experience, full of gains, and unforgettable.