Private Academies and Confucian Education in 18th-Century Vietnam in East Asian Context: The Case of Phúc Giang Academy

Abstract

AbstractNguyễn Huy Oánh along with other scholars belonging to the Nguyễn Huy clan founded a Confucian academy named Phúc Giang Academy 福江書院, which would become the most famous academy in Vietnam during the latter half of the 18th century. Although he was directly influenced by his interactions with eleven Chinese academies, particularly Yuelu Academy 嶽麓書院, which he visited during an envoy mission to Beijing (1766–1767), Nguyễn Huy Oánh had already begun organizing activities which are commonly associated with academies/shuyuan/書院—for example: opening a school; organizing the editing, woodblock-printing, distributing, and archiving of books; and purchasing land to be used for the support of the academy. However, it is the case that, upon returning from China, Nguyễn Huy Oánh selectively adopted various elements from the academy model of Yuelu Academy in order to advance the quality of education at Phúc Giang Academy, developing it into the largest private academy in Vietnam during its time. Notably, Phúc Giang Academy was located in the central region of Vietnam, an area which, compared with the northern part of the country, still had an underdeveloped education system. Phúc Giang Academy gained considerable fame in Vietnam during the 18th century and became the most remarkable example in the otherwise relatively scarce history of Confucian academies in Vietnam.