Zeng Guofan (1811-1872), a Hunan native and a prominent statesman in the late Qing Dynasty, once praised Hengyang's academies as the most prosperous in the world.
The most famous of them is the Shigu Academy on Shigu Mountain, where Zengshui, Xiangshui and Leishui rivers converge. It was one of the four major academies in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
