Wu He is the first generation of Miao cultural intellectuals in China since the Tang and Song Dynasties. Later generations built a monument for it and set up "Yuanxi Academy" to commemorate it. There are many poems circulating in the world.
The first Xiangxi celebrity, Confucian and figure recorded in the annals of Ganzhou Guild Hall was Wu He. He is a famous Miao Confucian scholar in Ming Dynasty, the first national educator and scholar in Xiangxi, the first generation of Miao and Han cultural intellectuals in Xiangxi since Tang and Song Dynasties, and the pioneer of Miao education in Xiangxi.
Wu He was born in Ganzhou, the ancient city of Xiangxi. Ganzhou belongs to Shili basin, surrounded by mountains, pines and cypresses, and the mountains are like nine turtles looking for their mothers. There are ten thousand rivers and two rivers around the mainland, forming a three-place cross-Chen, which seems to be dry, and it is called dry state.
According to Ganzhou Hall Records:
Ganzhou is surrounded by mountains and Wuxi. There are poles in front of the fort, preciseness in eastern Shandong behind the fort, wonders in Qingjiang Town and streams on the left, and dangers of Tianmen Gaoyan on the right, which can be called a crucial place.
Wu He is a Miao scholar and educator with great personality, taste and contribution. The persistence, stubbornness and rational follow-up spirit flowing in his blood are enough to make people sigh and leave a profound life inspiration.
First of all, Wu He's rational follow-up spirit is admirable. According to Lu's Xi Zhi, "He imitates Wang Yangming."
In his early years, Wu He was infatuated with Wang Yangming, a famous Confucian master in Ming Dynasty, who was known as "all-rounder", and worshipped Wang Yangming's philosophical thoughts.
Wang Yangming was the most famous thinker, philosopher, calligrapher and strategist in Ming Dynasty. "It is easy to break a thief in the mountains, but difficult to break a thief in the heart", "unreasonable outside the heart, nothing outside the heart, nothing outside the heart", "There is no body of good and evil, there are acts of good and evil, knowing good and evil is a conscience, and getting rid of evil is the standard thing", "Therefore, although mortals are willing to learn and make their hearts clean, they can also be saints" and "the study of gentlemen"
1504, Wang Yangming was demoted to Longchang, Guizhou as an ambassador for offending the great eunuch Liu Jin. On the way to his post, Wang Yangming gave lectures in Changsha, Hunan Province, which attracted a large number of intellectuals to attend classes at Yuelu Academy and influenced Huxiang culture with his thoughts.
When Wang Yangming passed through Chenzhou, he was invited by the magistrate of Chenzhou to give a lecture at Song Yunxuan in Huxi Academy. Wu He heard that he went to Chenzhou and eventually became Wang Yangming's proté gé, so envious.
Records of Ganzhou Guild Hall, Characters and Confucianism record:
Wu He, a Confucian scholar in Dongxiang, Ganzhou. I learned it from Wang Yangming's lecture on Huxi, and I envy it. Travel with friends of Dong Daofu in Chenzhou and study with conscience. ...
Later, Wu He, Qian Dehong from Yuyao, Zhejiang, and Wang Ji from Yin Shan, Jiangsu became one of Wang Yangming's disciples.
1509, after Wang Yangming was transferred to Luling County, Jiangxi Province, Wu He followed thousands of miles and studied Taoism under Wang Men twice.
Wu He took Wang Yangming as his teacher in his studies, but he followed his upright and frank disdainful character and chose to refuse to be an official. From then on, he was dissatisfied with his career and devoted himself to seeking Tao.
It is said that when Wu He was in Jiangxi, he chatted with a monk friend who knew Wang Yangming very well. One day, a monk friend gave him five things: dates, pears, salt, ginger and watermelon.
Wu was very surprised. Later, he finally realized the "Zen machine" and understood that the monk friend told him to "leave Jiangxi early".
Wu He followed Wang Yangming for thousands of miles, which was a manifestation of a student's pursuit of knowledge and fame, and also a historical projection of the pursuit of advanced culture in remote and isolated Xiangxi at that time. Pursuing advanced civilization should always be the unchangeable concept of Xiangxi from generation to generation. What is commendable is that Wu He's rational methodism can be described as the highest realm.
Moreover, Wu He's thought of "teaching without class" is even more remarkable. After Wu He left Wang Yangming and returned to xiangxi, he successively established schools in Jishou Shangluo, Sima Xi, Sanchaping, Ao Yufeng and other places to "teach his village disciples".
Wu He doesn't care about the rich and the poor. "Although Mu Fu stood upright, he was taught by him." That is to say, he taught both the shepherd boy and the farmer, so he was deeply respected by the villagers. "May my students be cold for ten years and spend a full moon." This can be a vivid portrayal of Wu He's infatuation education.
Wu He, who had been running a school for many years, died at home and was buried in the east of Jishou City.
During the Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty, in order to commemorate this Miao educator, later generations raised funds by themselves, and was presided over by Xiang Huiting, a Miao educator in Jishou City. Wu Gong Temple was built in Aoyufeng, Jishou City, where a statue of Wuhe was dedicated, a monument to Wuhe was erected, and its achievements were engraved on stone tablets and stone walls, and Wuxi Academy was established.
At the same time, Wenchang Pavilion with cornices and arches was built, and the rocks in the cave at the foot of Aoyufeng were moved to the peak vertical pool for support, indicating that it was "the best in the world". Since then, the sound of books has sounded day and night here, becoming the cradle of Miao culture and education.
It is also said that "Wuxi Academy" was not built by later generations to commemorate Wu He, but was founded by Wu He himself.
Vuch, with his wisdom and foresight, guided the way of cultural education in western Hunan. In front of Wuxi Academy, there is a couplet of Wu He's exhortation:
Reading dharma books is afraid of punishment, reading military books is afraid of war, and reading Confucian books is not afraid of punishment;
Farming is worried about water, ploughing is smooth and worrying about drought, and ploughing is worry-free.
This inspired countless children in western Hunan to become famous, so that Wuxi Academy later became a place for scholars to discuss and give lectures.
It is said that the educational funds of the academy have not been settled, and most of them are solved by raising funds from the squire, lending money to the administrators of the academy, buying learning venues and so on.
However, even in this case, the education in the academy is normal, especially the way of assessing students is very particular. In addition to the "class exam" given by Shan Chang, students also go to Ganzhou to take an exam called "Yueyue Class" every month. Those who have accumulated excellent results are listed as Jinshi and can be tested at a higher level.
Children eat and live in the hospital, and the hospital gives them "paste fire money", and other subsidies can be given to students from poor families.
In this way, children in Miao township in western Hunan have equal rights to receive education in unequal times, which is of great benefit to the prosperity of Miao township culture and the cultivation of talents in Miao township.