Xi’an University traces its origin to Guanzhong Academy, with a time-honored history of over 410 years.
Located at No. 63 Shuyuanmen Street,east of Yongning Gate (the South Gate of Xi’an), inside the city wall, Guanzhong Academy was founded in 1609 by Feng Congwu, a great master of Guanxue Confucianism in the late Ming Dynasty. It was the highest institution of learning in Shaanxi and one of the most renowned academies in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is the only well‑preserved ancient academy in Shaanxi, boasting profound historical and cultural heritage and typical architectural norms of traditional academies. Adhering to the mission of“advancing scholarship and enlightening minds”, it inherited the Guanxue tradition and cultivated generations of talents.
Destroyed by the eunuch group in the Tianqi period of the late Ming Dynasty, the academy was restored in the early Chongzhen period. In the Qing Dynasty, it was renovated and expanded under the reigns of Kangxi, Qianlong, Daoguang and Tongzhi. Distinguished scholars including Li Erqu, Sun Jinglie, Lu De and Bai Jingwei taught here successively, making it a center of Confucian learning. Emperor Qianlong inscribed the plaque“Qin Chuan Yu De”in recognition of its excellence.
In 1903, Guanzhong Academy was reorganized into Shaanxi Normal School, pioneering modern teacher education in Northwest China. From the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China, it was renamed Shaanxi No.1 Normal School, Provincial Xi’an Normal School and Shaanxi Xi’an Normal School successively. It returned to the original site in 1985. In 1992, Guanzhong Academy was designated as a Provincial-level Cultural Relic Protection Unit by the People's Government of Shaanxi Province. It merged into Xi’an University in 2009, and became a secondary institution in 2023.
Committed to cultural relics protection, education and teaching, academic research, study tour training and international exchanges, Guanzhong Academy carries forward the millennial heritage of traditional academies and promotes the spirit of Guanxue.