| Gongyuan(贡院)is a place dedicated to the imperial examination;The literature records of Gongyuan began in the Tang Dynasty,and it was set up in the Five Dynasties,song,Liao,Jin and Yuan.The single buildings of the Ming Dynasty’s Gongyuan,such as the"Shoujuansuo"(受卷所),"Mifengsuo"(弥封所),"Tenglusuo"(誊录所),"Duidusuo"(对读所),"Jianshifang"(监试房),"Kaoguanfang"(考官房),"Hengjiantang"(衡鉴堂)and"Zhigongtang"(至公堂),and the design concept of"separating the grading papers area and the examination area"in the Gongyuan are all inherited from the Gongyuan of the former dynasty.Compared with the development of the imperial examination in the early Ming Dynasty,the establishment of Gongyuan in the same period showed a certain lag,but under the strong promotion of the development of the imperial examination,all provinces in the middle and late Ming Dynasty not only established Gongyuan,but also comprehensively surpassed the Gongyuan in the previous dynasty in terms of its layout,building materials,shape and function.In order to better meet the needs of the imperial examination,the Gongyuan in the Ming Dynasty was divided into three areas:the Neilian(内帘)area,the Wailian(外帘)area and the affiliated area.The Neilian area is the examiner’s work and living area,with Jukuitang(聚奎堂)as the core,where questions are written and papers are graded.It is located in the north of the Wailian area,and is strictly separated from the Wailian area by a door wall.If it is not the examiner and the specified entourage,it will be forbidden to enter,and once the personnel enter,they are not allowed to go out at will.The Wailian area is subdivided into three sub areas,namely"examination affairs area","examination room area"and"Examinee admission and body search work area".The core building of the"examination affairs area"is the Zhigongtang,which is an area dedicated to the examination work and located at the northernmost end of the Wailian area;The"examination room area"has the largest area and is the place for candidates to answer their examination papers.This area is composed of rows of examination rooms.In order to prevent cheating,each candidate is equipped with an examination room,with the development of social productive forces and the growth of official financial resources,the building materials of examination room have also been changed from straw mats to wooden boards,and finally to solid fire-proof bricks and stones;The"Examinee admission and body search work area"is located in the southernmost part of the Wailian area,which is mainly composed of the Xunchuofang(巡绰房),the Soujianfang(搜检房)and the gates of Gongyuan.Entry and body search are carried out in this area.The affiliated area refers to the area where facilities related to the township examination are built outside the gates of Gongyuan,mainly including the memorial archway of the examination hall and the waiting room for candidates.The construction facilities in different areas perform their respective functions,which jointly ensure the normal progress of the imperial examination.In the Ming Dynasty,the Gongyuan was located in the southeast,northeast,northwest and southwest of the thirteen chief secretaries of the two capitals,and slightly more in the southeast.Generally,the following factors will be considered when selecting the site: make use of the former sites of various buildings as much as possible,close to rivers and lakes,choose places with high and wide terrain,choose places on the edge of the city,and try to choose places with auspicious geomantic omen,at least not violating geomantic taboos.Although limited by various conditions,it is often difficult to combine all favorable factors in the final selected address,the pursuit of these conditions in the location selection of Gongyuan in various places always exists.In addition to being used for Provincial and Metropolitan examinations,the Gongyuan in the Ming Dynasty also had multiple temporary uses,such as five common uses,such as other examination places,lecture places,official banquet places,local chronicle compilation places,and temporary offices;It can also be used for more than ten kinds of accidental uses,such as Luming banquet(鹿鸣宴)venue and annual meeting venue.The multiple temporary uses of Gongyuan mainly appeared in the middle and late Ming Dynasty,with the characteristics of"official monopoly",reflecting the flexibility of the Ming people in the management of Gongyuan and the governing concept of"saving money"possessed by the rulers of the Ming Dynasty. |
