The former site of Donglin Academy

📚 Once renowned across the world and influential in the politics of the late Ming dynasty, Donglin Academy is now a free public park for citizens. 🔎 The famous saying 'The sounds of the wind, the rain, the reading of books, all sounds enter the ears; matters of the home, the state, the world, all matters are of concern' originates from here. 🔀 There is much controversy over the Donglin faction, with positive views praising their world-embracing scholar spirit, their criticism of the times, and their commitment to social change; while negative views criticize their scholarly arrogance, incessant factional disputes, and some even say that the great name perished because of Donglin. 🔴 As the over two-hundred-year-old Ming dynasty gradually decayed, the emperor, an old fool, was incompetent and surrounded by sycophantic villains and powerful eunuchs. Only the Donglin party maintained the conscience of intellectuals, but what the foolish emperor could not stand the most were 'self-righteous' intellectuals. Rather than saying Donglin was eradicated by the eunuch party, it would be more accurate to say that the ignorant emperor granted the authority to destroy them.