Song and Yuan Period: Yan Shu

Yan Shu with the courtesy name of Tongshu (991-1055), came from Linchuan of Northern Song (Fuzhou, Jiangxi). During the reign of Song Zhenzong in Jingde, the 13-yaar-old Yan Shu was famous as wonder child, and he was specially recommended to accept the interview of emperor in Golden Ruan Palace. He was appreciated by the Emperor of Zhenzong and he was awarded as a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations. In 1004AD, Yan Shu was sent by the Emperor of Northern Song to be first salt officer in Xixi. At that time, it was the first Xingxue movement in the period, so he built Xixi Academy in Xixi. The offspring make a comparison and they find that the Xixi Academy is 220 years earlier that the Anding Academy built by the chief of a prefecture of Taizhou, and it is one of the oldest academies in Jiangsu.   

Yan Shu advocated Suhu Methodology and there were ceaseless learners coming for his lectures. In his lectures on knowledge, he instilled moral principles of rotation, trained audiences' moral qualities, and paid attention to the training of living habits and habits. In the teaching of basic knowledge, we should pay attention to the cultivation of proficient reading and memorization, learning attitude and learning habits. For example, reading emphasizes diligence, conscientiousness, attentiveness, and cherishing time. Writing requires correct posture, respectful attitude and several clean cases. There are specific requirements on the dressing and behavior in his Notices of Academy.

It was said that Emperor Zhenzong did think highly of Yan Shu and he promoted his teaching to the whole country. After the retiring of Shu Yan, Xixi residents changed the name of Xixi Academy as Yanshu Academy to show their respects. In the ancient eight sceneries, there was Yanxi Xiaocui. By now, there was still Yanxi in Xixi, so the respect of the residents to Yan Shu could be seen.

Yan Shu liked virtuous people so much and he especially thought highly of recognizing and attracting talents. Fan Zhongyan, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu and Han Qi were his students to gain his cultivation.

One day, secretariat school management was needed by the Emperor and Yan Shu who had been prefecture chief of Tianfu (Sichuan) recommended the young Fan Zhongyan to the current minister, wang Zeng. Yan Shu praised Fan Zhongyan that he not only had the ambition to be politicians and he did well in his study. He had read six Confucian classics (Poems, Books, Rites, Music, Yi, Spring and Autumn), etc. And his article was so elegant with talent. Yan Shu often gathered and walked with young students in Xixi and they made poem and couplets together.

There is still a story in Xixi by now. Yan Shu had written a famous poem, Silk-Washing Stream, was finished in Xixi. One day, Yan Shu walked in the yard of his house with a young man, Wang Qi. He found the falling leaves and he could not help signing, “It is so hard to write a good poem. I have written one sentence in this Spring, “无可奈何花落去”, but I still could not think of the next one until now.” Wang Qi paid all attention to his word, and then he found a swallow flying among willow, he had an unconscious brainstorm and he said, “似曾相识燕归来”, which had been famous sentences inherited through the ages.

Yan Shu was straightforward, and he cared about the pain of the mass. He also made a good deed that won the hearts of the people in his post in Xixi. Xixi was east of ocean and most of residents were fishmen and salt people. They had no place to get rid of rain when they baked salt and caught fish. Yan Shu was observed the national situation after he came to the post. He built a wooden pavilion in high pier not far from the sea (the relics belongs to Residential Committee of Taishan Temple, Dongtai Town) for the fishmen to have a rest. There was a stone board next to the pavilion and there were three green words in the board, Bi Chao Ting. 

Then, Yan Shu was promoted to be minister and the Xixi residents missed his morality, so it was changed as Yanxi Pavilion. And the ancient Nancanghe River crossing through the town is changed as Yanxihe River.