In the Tang Dynasty, the embryonic form of the academy began to appear. Lixia Academy and Jixian Temple Academy, which were established in Li Longji during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, were palace libraries rather than educational institutions, but they were the beginning of the names of the academies.

Because the academies in the Tang Dynasty are often directly related to the later academies, it is said that the Tang Dynasty is the embryonic period of Chinese academies.

In the Tang Dynasty, some private academies appeared and became places for scholars to study. There are several of them, such as Lushan Guo Xue, Huangliao Academy, Wu Tong Academy, Songzhu Academy and Dongjia Academy. There are recorded lectures, which marks the initial formation of educational institutions named after academies. Among them, Lushan Guo Xue was later called Bailu Academy.