Dongshan Academy, Educational building in Meizhou, China.

Dongshan Academy stands in Xiashi, Meijiang District, Meizhou, beside the Zhuangyuan Bridge and against the Dongshan ridge. Built in 1746, it faces west and covers 1,642 m², with 2,655.5 m² of floor space in a three-hall, two-wing layout. The gatehouse has a hard-mountain roof on two granite columns; the rear Kui Xing Pavilion is a three-storey double-eaved structure, and covered walkways link the wings.

Wang Zhefu, prefect of Jiaying Prefecture, proposed the academy in 1744 and it was completed in 1746, named with the motto "Dongshan cultivates state pillars, the academy nurtures talent". Its first cohort included Zhong Xu, who entered the Imperial College, prompting Wang to write the plaque "First Step on the Cloud Ladder", still hung in the main hall. Damaged in fighting in 1865, it was rebuilt, and in 1903 Huang Zunxian raised funds to found the Dongshan Primary Normal School here, rebuilt on a large scale; in 1913 the site became the private Dongshan Middle School.

The academy's name comes from the motto 'Dongshan pei guodong, shuyuan yu rencai' (Dongshan cultivates national pillars, the academy nurtures talent), set by founder Wang Zhefu. The wooden plaque 'Chubu yunti' (First Step on the Cloud Ladder), which he inscribed for student Zhong Xu, still hangs in the main hall. The couplet at the entrance reads 'Dongshan taoli lü, shuyuan zhuangyuan hong'.

The academy sits on the bank of the Xiashi Zhuangyuan Bridge in Meijiang District, facing west, with the gatehouse, front hall, middle hall and rear hall in a line behind each other. Entry is free and the site is managed by Guangdong Meixian Dongshan Middle School as a space for training, exhibitions and cultural products. Allow time to look up at the Kuixing Pavilion, the tallest structure on the axis.

The rear hall is the three-storey double-eaved Kuixing Pavilion, dedicated to the god of literature, and the whole layout is aligned on its axis. The academy's name comes from Wang Zhefu's motto, "Dongshan cultivates the nation's pillars, the academy nurtures talent". In its first year a student, Zhong Xu, entered the Guozijian, and Wang wrote the plaque "First Step on the Cloud Ladder", still hung in the main hall.