Academies originated in the Tang dynasty and flourished in the Song and Yuan dynasties. After political upheaval, the academies in early Ming fell into decline for a time.

Not until scholars such as Wang Yang-Ming, Zhan Ruo-Shui, and others called for promotion of academies did the academies in every place become thriving again.

By and by, the academies in the Ming dynasty became a center of scholarship, where intellectuals gathered, talked, and exchanged ideas and opinions. Due to the political atmosphere at the time, the academies in the Ming dynasty were often subject to political persecution.

During the incident of the struggle of the Dong Lin Clique, the scholars in the Dong Lin Academy gathered the intelligentsia who were concerned for the political affairs of the country to stand out against the authorities in the hope of changing the corrupt court.

Though the power of the Dong Lin Academy eventually failed, it still showed that academies were an important force of social revolution at that time.