Map of the Imperial City

original: "Huangcheng Tu." This title refers to the broader layout of the Imperial City in Beijing, the high-security district surrounding the Forbidden City where central government offices and the Imperial Academy were located.

Map of the Temporary Palace during the Grand Military Review of the Imperial Dynasty

original: "Guochao Dayue Xinggong Tu." This specific title describes the mobile headquarters used by the Emperor during large-scale military inspections. Its inclusion here alongside the Imperial Academy suggests this woodblock print may have been part of a larger atlas of imperial landmarks and military encampments.

original: "Guangye Tang." This was one of the lower-tier classrooms within the "Six Halls" of the Imperial Academy. Students began their studies here, focusing on the basics of the Confucian classics.

original: "Chongzhi Tang." Along with the Hall of Broad Achievement and the Hall of Rectitude, this formed the introductory level of education for the academy's scholars.

original: "Zhengyi Tang."

original: "Chengxin Tang." This hall represented the middle tier of the academic hierarchy. As students demonstrated proficiency, they "ascended" to these higher-ranked halls.

original: "Xiudao Tang." Another hall in the middle tier of the educational system.

original: "Shuaixing Tang." This was the most advanced of the "Six Halls." Students reached this stage only after years of study and passing rigorous evaluations, signifying they were nearly ready for official government service.

original: "Yilun Tang." This large structure served as the central lecture hall of the Imperial Academy. Here, the Emperor or high-ranking officials would occasionally deliver formal lectures on Confucian philosophy to the assembled scholars. It functioned as the intellectual heart of the campus.

The map identifies the "Six Halls" (original: Liu Tang) and the central lecture hall, the Hall of Moral Relations (original: Yilun Tang), which are defining features of the Ming and Qing dynasty Imperial Academy in Beijing. This system reflects a physical journey of education: students literally moved from hall to hall as they mastered the curriculum, symbolizing their growth in both knowledge and moral character.