During the reigns of Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong in the Qing era, Xinzhuang Plain underwent rapid development and the population increased accordingly. Hakka men from Yongding, Dingzhou in Fujian—Hu Cho-yu (1693 - ? CE) alongside Lin Tso-che and Hu Hsi-long (dates of birth and death unknown)—established the Hu Lin Long kenhao (land development association) to cultivate land in present-day Wugu District, Taishan District and Xinzhuang District of New Taipei City. Hu Cho-yu was a successful businessman and a generous philanthropist. He saw the lack of educational institutions in Heng-tit-pó (administrative district covering the aforementioned areas) and how students had to travel to Hsinchu or even Changhua to pursue an education, and so, in the 28th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign in the Qing era (1763 CE), he donated a large sum of money and 80 jia of land (roughly 192 acres) to establish an yixue (charitable school) and hire renowned teachers, founding what would become today's Mingzhi Academy. Mingzhi Academy is the first academy established in northern Taiwan, predating the Wenhai Academy (Hsueh-Hai Academy) in Monga by 70 years. Five bays wide and with one courtyard and a total of 12 rooms on the sides, Mingzhi Academy was quite large in its early days. After renovations over the years, however, the academy is now surrounded by residential houses, and only the main hall and two side rooms remain.
After it was rebuilt in 2005, Mingzhi Academy was seated, and a stele was placed in front of the building as a memory to commemorate Chunmei's charitable deeds of actively giving back to the place after the ancestors made their fortunes in the early years.
There are many cultural relics related to the academy in the interior, and purchases of renovated old buildings
Mingzhi Academy enshrines Zhu Xi, Hu Zhuoyou, and Guo Zongqing, respectively, with the tablets of "Master Ziyang Zhuo", "Gongsheng Hu Zhuoyou Lu", and "Supervisor Guo Zongqing Lu"
Because Mingzhi Academy currently enshrines Zhu Xi, the management committee also specially arranged the ceremony so that visitors can ask for a smart pen
After Mingzhi Academy was rebuilt, there is a plaque on the main hall of "Beijing First School"
After the college was rebuilt, the management committee moved the "Xingzhibao New Mingzhi College Monument" to the main hall collection
The roof of the main building of the academy is decorated with dovetails, which is very beautiful. Although it is the work of modern craftsmen, it is still rich in ancient style.
There is a Jingwen Pavilion in front of the academy, which is specially used to burn the paper on which characters have been written. It is a fixed component in the traditional Taiwanese academy.
The meaning of the plaque in Mingzhi Academy comes from Zhuge Liang’s family motto:"It's not a slumber, it's not aspirational, it's not tranquil, it's not far-reaching."