Located in Jinfengling, west of Rucheng City, Lianxi Academy was founded in 1220 in the thirteenth year of Ningzong Jiading, Southern Song Dynasty. It was built in memory of Zhou Dunyi, the founder of Neo-Confucianism in Northern Song Dynasty, with 798 years of history, which was listed as a provincial cultural relic protection unit.

Lianxi Academy is the core building of the Ailian Lake Scenic Area, covering an area of 3,600㎡, the largest academy in memory of Zhou Dunyi.

At the foot of the Academy, there is a big picture of Taiji Eight Diagrams in the center of Lianxi Square. Looking from the square, the Academy leans on the green hills, and there are a few dense trees standing on the left and right, which makes it particularly quiet. The front door is carved with the plaque of "Lianxi Academy". There is a pair of lotus stone drums at the door and the whole style is simple, solemn and elegant.

Through the first door we can see Zhou Dunyi's bronze sculpture. His position is the ancient place used to observe the sun, moon and stars, study the mathematical theory of Yin and Yang. The statue stands in the center of the platform. He holds "The Essay of TaiJi Diagram" in his hand and welcomes everyone who aspires to study here.

The academy is a brick and wood corridor structure of the courtyard. There is the Xilian Hall from the star-watching stage to the ninth stage. "Xilian" means that Zhou Dunyi's thought and personality are rare, a model for later generations. A horizontal plaque of "Neo-Confucianism" hangs on the altar of Xilian Hall. As the king of Neo-Confucianism, Zhou Dunyi has laid a foundation of an ideal personality of the Song and Ming Dynasties with his thinking and analyzing, and with his appreciation of the beauty.

Zhou Dunyi spent four years as County Magistrate of Guiyang (today's Rucheng County) when he was 33 years old, and wrote down the famous works of "Ode Lotus Flower", "Zhuo Fu" and "The Essay of TaiJi Diagram" here.

Zhou Dunyi is a man who never dies. His honesty and self-discipline, not for fame and wealth to study and research, nor for the purpose of making statement, that lotus-like gentleman personality, always alert to our future generations, which is more worthy of all of us to learn.