Peter Bok ● Photo Journal 卜利泉 ( 光●影●情●事 ): Qing Dynasty's Imperial Exam System 清代科舉展

On 30 November 2011, I visited the Exhibition of the Imperial Examination of Qing Dynasty in Hong Kong Museum of History. The exhibition displayed many historical archives of the imperial examination system. I was most interested in the examination questions, examination papers of the candidates, the golden scroll of the name list of the successful candidates in the imperial examination.
The term zhuang yuan (top scorer of the imperial examination system) has drawn people's envy. Its implication is profound in the social and bureaucratic system in government service. From these exhibits, we can see that these candidates require to read all Four Books and Five Classics, to write in Eight Legged Essay format, to use brush to write carefully, neatly and nicely.

Many of the exhibits were put inside show cases with spot-lights from above. It will be harder to take photo with camera. It will also be hindered by the reflective lights, viewing angle and the way the exhibits were placed. I used Ricoh Digital GR3 with the Skew Correction mode to take all these photos. This album has reflected the merit of the GR3 in capturing displayed photos!

The imperial examination system of China was introduced in AD 605 as a way to select talented candidates for government service. This unique examination system was further developed and refined throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties to the very last session, held in 1904. It was abolished the following year.

Throughout its 1,300-year history, the imperial examination system produced over 700 zhuang yuan (principal graduates of palace examination), 110,000 jianshi (graduates of palace examination), several million juren (graduates of provincial examination) and countless siu cai, students who secured social status (graduates of preliminary examination). Among them were many prominent government officials, philosophers and art masters who went on to make great contributions to China's polical, social and cultural development.

The moment of glory arrived with the announcement of the examination results. The names of the graduates were listed on a scroll that was posted outside the examination hall. Once the results were made public, the news was quickly spread by word of mouth and soon reached the homes of the successful candidates.

1886 Palace examination paper by Wang Yinhuai: The palace examinations were presided over by the emperor himself where candidates were asked policy questions. Successful candidates were ranked into three classes by their performance. Wang was from the Sichuan province and was ranked 14th in the second class when attending the palace examination in 1886.

Past examination paper in Qing Dynasty: An imperial decree was issued in 1901 to reform the imperial examination. These examination papers from the provincial examination were set after the reforms were implemented . The first session deals with Chinese politics and history and the second with international politics and Western studies. The third maintains the traditional focus on the "Four Books and Five Classics", but candidates were not allowed to answer the questions using the "eight-legged essay" format.

Capturing the exhibit with Ricoh GR3

Skew photo corrected by GR3

Courtesy: Hong Kong Museum of History

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清代科舉展

2011年11月30日往香港歷史博物館參觀了「清代科舉展」，館內展出了大量科舉制度的文獻，其中我感興趣的是考試題目、考生試卷、金榜題名等。「狀元」是一個令人艷羨的稱謂。他們是科舉時代中在社會及朝廷官職仕途影響深遠。從展出的試卷來看，他們要飽讀「四書五經」，善用「八股文」作答，用毛筆書寫，要求文字工整美觀。

大部份展品都放在展櫃內，上有射燈照明，要用相機拍攝有些困難，展櫃反光，拍攝角度也受展品擺放的位置所限制。我是利用麗確GR3小型相機的「相片斜度修正」模式來拍攝的。這輯照片顯示出GR3在修正拍攝展品斜度的優點！

中國科舉制度始於隋煬帝大業三年(公元605年），歷經唐、宋、元、明和清，直到清光緒三十年(公元1904年)。在一千三百多年的科舉考試中，總共產生出七百多名狀元、十一萬名進士、數百萬名舉人，至於秀才則不計其數。歷代治國安邦的名臣、名將以及有傑出貢獻的政治家、思想家、藝術家，大都出自狀元、進士和舉人之中，可見科舉在中國歷史上佔著極重要地位。

科舉考試中式者的名單﹐會被抄寫成榜文﹐張貼於試場外牆身上﹐中式與否﹐路人皆知﹐在互相通傳下﹐消息亦會迅速廣傳鄉里之間﹐直達考生家中。

考生每中一式即往另一階段進發﹐更上層樓。鄉試中式者為「舉人」﹐第一名稱為「解元」﹐已備做官資格。而會試中式者稱為「貢士」﹐首名稱為「會元」﹐「貢士」除可授官外﹐亦具資格參加殿試﹐稱為「進士」﹐在功名上更上一層樓。

清代殿試只考一日﹐由皇帝親自監考﹐以對策形式﹐就政事﹐兵政、農政等題材撰寫議論﹐取錄名單稱為甲榜或金榜﹐並分三甲: 一甲三位稱為「狀元」、「榜眼」及「探花」: 二甲則統稱為「進士出身」: 三甲亦獲賞「同進士出身」。

士子連中「解元」、「會元」及「狀元」﹐會被稱為「三元及第」﹐歷史上十四人﹐可說是科舉至高無上的榮譽。

殿試試題﹕