The water towns of Jiangnan

The Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, located on the east side of the Confucian Temple Academy in Qinhuai District, Nanjing, also known as the Nanjing Imperial Examination Hall or Jiankang Imperial Examination Hall, is the largest and most influential imperial examination venue in Chinese history. It is the place where scholars were selected in the southern regions of China, and it is also one of the three major ancient architectural complexes in the Confucian Temple area, an important part of the Qinhuai scenic belt. Its scale and land area are the largest among all the provincial imperial examination halls in China, setting a record for ancient Chinese imperial examination venues. More than half of the officials nationwide during the Ming and Qing dynasties came from the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, earning it the reputation of being the 'cradle of ancient Chinese officials'. The Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall was first built in the fourth year of the Qiandao era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1168) and was expanded and renovated over successive dynasties. It reached its peak during the Ming and Qing dynasties. During the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, there were 20,644 examination cells alone, which could accommodate more than 20,000 candidates at the same time, plus hundreds of affiliated buildings, covering an area of over 300,000 square meters. In the thirty-first year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1905), Yuan Shikai and Zhang Zhidong petitioned the Qing court to abolish the imperial examinations to promote schools and practical learning, and from then on, the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall ended its historical mission. From its establishment to the abolition of the imperial examinations in the late Qing Dynasty, the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall provided the nation with over 800 top scholars, more than 100,000 Jinshi degree holders, and over a million Juren degree holders. Famous figures from the Ming and Qing dynasties such as Tang Bohu, Zheng Banqiao, Wu Jingzi, Shi Nai'an, Weng Tonghe, Zhang Jian, and Chen Duxiu all emerged from here, reflecting the prosperity of Jinling's culture. Built on the foundation of the Jiangnan Imperial Examination Hall, the China Imperial Examination Museum is the only specialized museum in China that reflects the content of the Chinese imperial examination system. It is also the center of the Chinese imperial examination system, the center of Chinese imperial examination culture, and the center of Chinese imperial examination relic collection. The opened sections of the museum include the underground level, the Mingyuan Building, Zhigong Hall, examination cells, steles, and the Kuiguang Pavilion in the southern garden, comprising 11 exhibition halls. We stayed at the Jinling Hotel, just a few minutes' walk away, making it really convenient to visit. We originally didn't plan to come because there were many other places we wanted to visit, but my son wanted to see it, so we came. We don't regret it at all; this place is so worth bringing children to.