Keju
Zhidu is a Chinese term that refers to the imperial
examination system in ancient China. Imperial examinations
were talent selection examinations participated by
ancient scholars. It was a system of officer selection
by the means of examinations in the imperial societies.
Because the officers were chosen from separate section
examinations, the system was called Keju in Chinese.
The imperial examination first originated from the
Sui Dynasty of ancient China. In Tang Dynasty, the
system was further improved. In Ming Dynasty, the
system reached its prosperity. It had experienced
more than 1300 years till the last section of examination
in the 27th year of the Guangxu Time in Qing Dynasty.
The imperial examinations employed various procedures
in different dynasties. The content was mainly Confucian
classics, such as "Four Books" and "Five
Classics". Some imperial examinations mainly
tested the eight-part essay. The eight-part essay
is a rigorous style with strict limitation on thesis,
format and word count, and the examinees could not
release ideas or opinions freely. Such a system baffled
the cultivation of talent. In the year of 1905, the
Qing government abolished the imperial examination
system.
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