As the world seeks ways to engage in dialogue across different civilizations while preserving distinct identities, shuyuan, or ancient Chinese academies, have emerged as guides from Chinese history.
Originating in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), shuyuan were unique Chinese institutions combining education, libraries, ritual observance and scholarly debate. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), they had become China's primary intellectual hubs, where scholars often engaged in critical reflection, rigorous exchanges and debates.
Chinese shuyuan wisdom began resonating with the West during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the late 16th century, Italian missionary Matteo Ricci visited the Yuzhang Academy in Nanchang, East China's Jiangxi province, and enjoyed the company of Zhang Huang, then head of the renowned Bailudong (White Deer Grotto) Academy. Ricci brought knowledge of Western astronomy, geography and mathematics, while Zhang inherited millennia-old Confucian theory. Ricci studied the Confucian classics under Zhang's guidance, while Zhang incorporated Western geographical knowledge into his own work, featuring mutual respect and interaction.
In a letter to Rome, Ricci wrote that they had found in the Chinese classics several things that agreed with their faith.
Xiao Hongbo, president of the Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences and director of its Academy Culture Research Center, identifies this spirit of "seeking consensus amid differences and building synergy through exchange" as vital wisdom within traditional Chinese culture for managing divergence and resolving conflict.
This spirit of dialogue lives on to this day. In October 2025, nearly 200 scholars from 51 countries and regions gathered at the Kaoting Academy in East China's Fujian province for the Conference on Zhu Xi's Philosophy and Dialogue of Global Civilization, to explore how the late Chinese philosopher Zhu Xi's thoughts could offer insights for resolving civilizational clashes.
Former UNESCO General Conference president Simona-Mirela Miculescu noted that Zhu's belief in the inseparability of learning and virtue aligns with UNESCO's mission to build peace through understanding, learning and mutual respect.
At a time when the "Clash of Civilizations" theory still has a foothold in the world, and divisions and conflicts hinder human progress, Chinese academies, with their thousands of years of practice, offer Eastern wisdom that promotes dialogue and strengthens cooperation.
Inspired by shuyuan, Korean scholar Ju Se-bung established Baegundong Academy in 1543, modeling it on Bailudong Academy, the first of its kind on the Korean Peninsula. Over the course of about two centuries, more than 900 academies sprang up across the region. To date, the Bailudong Academy directives are still upheld as school mottos in some institutions in South Korea and Japan.
Another leading Korean scholar, Yi Hwang, later expanded Baegundong Academy into Dosan Academy in Gyeongsangbuk-do to promote the philosophy of Zhu Xi. Its cultural imprint is woven into daily life: the 1,000-won banknote features Yi Hwang's portrait on the front and Dosan Academy on the back — a shared cultural heritage carried by every South Korean.
"For modern South Koreans, academies remain part of their daily life and one of the most important cultural symbols," says Keum Jia, an associate professor at Peking University's School of Foreign Languages.
Deng Hongbo, director of the Chinese Academy Research Center, notes that while overseas academies share a bloodline with their Chinese counterparts and retain their core cultural functions, they have developed distinct characteristics influenced by factors such as the time of transmission and geographical location. Korean academies emphasize ceremonial rites, Japanese academies focus on publishing, and Southeast Asian Chinese academies serve as spiritual anchors connecting communities to their homeland.
Deng has found that through the systematic collection and collation of historical documents from the Korean Joseon Dynasty and Japanese academies, valuable archival materials have been revitalized. Such work confirms the academy system's contribution to East Asian Confucian civilization rooted in Chinese characters, providing solid academic support for the historical practice of mutual learning among civilizations.
As academies spread eastward, another path led toward the West.
In Naples, Italy, beside a winding lane named Salita dei Cinesi (Chinese Slope), stands a three-story ochre building — "Collegio dei Cinesi" (Chinese College) founded by Italian missionary Matteo Ripa.
Serving as a painter and translator at the royal court of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Ripa returned to Italy in 1723 and established the college with a clear mission to overcome language and cultural barriers by nurturing truly inclusive, cross-cultural talent.
In more than 100 years up to 1868, it educated 106 Chinese students from more than 10 provinces, most of whom returned to China to serve as bridges between the East and the West. When the British Macartney Embassy visited China in 1793, the interpreter was a graduate of the college — a testament to its legacy.
After several name changes, the college evolved into the University of Naples L'Orientale, remaining a leading center for Sinological studies in Italy.
In the contemporary era, academies are again serving as platforms for civilizational dialogue. The Nishan Forum on World Civilizations in Shandong province uses the culture of the academies to connect global scholars. Yuelu Academy in Hunan province is recruiting international faculty to conduct cuttingedge digital humanities research, while Bailudong Academy's lectures reach a global audience via live streams.
These exchange practices centered on academies enable Chinese culture to continuously absorb nutrients, develop and innovate through dialogue with diverse civilizations around the world. Simultaneously, they allow the world to gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of China through the window of these ancient educational institutions.
