This book is one of the first to give a systematic account of shuyuan in English. Shuyuan (Classical Academies), as a type of higher education institution in ancient China, were closely related to the philosophical thoughts, social atmosphere, and humanistic cultivation in those times when they were prevalent, thus proving to be a worthy subject of study. This book collects and sorts out relevant historical materials, so as to explore the social environment where shuyuan were established, introduces a group of ancient scholars with strong personalities, reexamine their cultural heritage, and builds a bridge connecting modern and ancient thoughts.

Yuhua Lyu , Litt.D., associate professor at School of Literature of Shandong University. Her research interests include the history of ancient Chinese literary criticism and the literature of the Sui, the Tang and the Five Dynasties. The courses she teaches include "History and Intensive Reading of Ancient Chinese Literature (Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties)," "Research on Ancient Chinese Fiction and Opera," "Research on Tang Tales," "Poems and Culture of the Tang Dynasty," etc. She has published works such as Research on the Development of Ancient Chinese Novel Theory , Love and Tokens , Three Hundred Qu Poems of the Yuan Dynasty , Selected Legendary Stories of the Tang and Song Dynasties , etc