Mingzhi Academy

Taiwanese academies were successively established during the Qing Dynasty, serving as local educational institutions. Mingzhi Academy, known as the "First Academy of Northern Taiwan," is located on Section 2 of Mingzhi Road, near the intersection with Xinsheng Road. It was founded and built by Hu Chaoyou, a *Gongsheng* (tribute student) from Yongding, Tingzhou, Fujian. At the time, it was quite substantial in scale. Later, due to the government relocating the academy to Hsinchu, it was renamed Xinzhuang Shanjiao Yidian (Xinzhuang Foothill Charity School). Mingzhi Academy was the first academy in Northern Taiwan, established 70 years earlier than Wenhua Academy (Xuehai Academy) in Monga. The original Mingzhi Academy was quite large, featuring a main hall with five bays and a total of 12 side rooms on both sides. After years of renovation, the academy's surroundings are now enclosed by residential buildings, with only the main hall and the two side rooms remaining.