As an institution with more than 1,200 years of history, Shigu Academy is one of the four great academies of the Song Dynasty. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

The most well-known teachers of the Shigu Academy are Su Shi, Zhou Dunyi and Zhu Xi. Graduates include Wang Jren, Peng Yulin and Qi Baishi. Also, many scholars, poets and celebrities have been attracted by its reputation and paid visits, including Zhuge Liang, Du Fu, Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Xin Qiji and Wen Tianxiang.

As a millennium institution, the original academy was destroyed in 1944 by Japanese bombings. The Shigu Academy we see today was rebuilt on the base of those ruins in 2006.