Lichuan Imperial Examination Hall

The Lichuan Imperial Examination Hall is located on the south side of the eastern end of Dongfanghong Avenue in Rifeng Town, Lichuan County, right next to the former Confucian Academy (now the southwest corner of Lichuan No.2 Primary School). It adjoins the former Education Official’s Office (near the Jiajiale Supermarket inside Diwang Fortune Plaza). The hall was first built in the 4th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1799).

Wu Ying, an Imperial Academy student born in this county, took the lead by donating more than 2,200 taels of silver from his own pocket. Another 2,800 taels were raised from people across the county. The construction was carried out on the vacant lot to the right of the Confucian Academy.

Entering the compound, the eastern area featured a main hall. Behind the hall stood three rooms for exam supervisors to rest and handle official business, two kitchens and one extra spare room. The spacious main examination hall contained more than 700 individual booths partitioned by wooden planks. The entire examination compound was enclosed by walls, covering roughly 3,000 square metres.

According to Wu Shiqi, who was appointed magistrate of Xincheng County (present-day Lichuan County) in the 58th year of the Qianlong reign (1793), before the examination hall was built, local scholars had to take examinations temporarily in the main courtroom of the county government. Desks and chairs were arranged randomly without fixed positions. Moving furniture wasted plenty of time and energy. Candidates disturbed one another, making it hard to enforce examination disciplines and seriously affecting their state of mind.

In the spring of 1800, the year after the hall was completed, the county-level imperial examination was held right here in the newly finished building. Candidates entered in perfect order, took their assigned seats quietly, and answered the examination papers calmly, achieving excellent results.

In 1809 (the 14th year of Jiaqing), the doors and partition walls of the booths were damaged, and the brick wall at the rear collapsed. Local residents raised funds to carry out repairs. In 1813 (the 18th year of Jiaqing), Wu Daoming, the eldest son of Wu Ying who initiated the original donation, together with other contributors, donated farmland. The grain harvest served as operating funds, and two large sheds were built outside the main gate for visitors and examinees to take a short rest.

In 1856 (the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign), most buildings of the examination hall were burned down in wars. In 1868 (the 6th year of the Tongzhi reign), after getting official approval from higher authorities, funds were raised for reconstruction.

During the Republic of China period, the newly founded Lichuan County Junior High School occupied the Confucian Temple. By then, only the outer wall, main gate and horizontal lintel of the examination hall remained. All halls and rooms had been burnt and collapsed. The ruins were levelled and turned into school playgrounds and sports courts.