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Xuehai Academy (now the Gao Clan Ancestral Hall) was one of the five academies in the Taipei Basin during the Qing Dynasty. It is now the only remaining academy building in Taipei City, while the other four are Mingzhi Academy, Shuren Academy, Dengying Academy, and Mingdao Academy. Xuehai Academy was originally named "Wenjia Academy." It was founded in the 17th year of Daoguang (1837) by Lou Yun, the magistrate of Tamsui. It was completed in the 23rd year of Daoguang (1843) by Cao Jin, who succeeded as the magistrate. In the 27th year of Daoguang (1847), Liu Yunke, the Viceroy of Fujian and Zhejiang, inspected Taiwan and renamed it Xuehai Academy, and personally inscribed the plaque as "Xuehai Academy." This academy was the highest educational institution in northern Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty. In the 6th year of Tongzhi (1867), the Wanhua Private School was established here, and in the 5th year of Guangxu (1879), the new Confucian School of Tamsui County was also set up here. After the Japanese occupied Taiwan, the land was auctioned, and the Gao family saw this beautiful old building and purchased it, converting it into a clan ancestral hall, which it remains to this day. Because of its historical value, it was designated as a third-grade cultural relic in 1985 according to the Cultural Heritage Preservation Law. Looking at the entire Xuehai Academy, it exudes a strong sense of antiquity, with obvious signs of age. Since the academy has been converted into the Gao Clan Ancestral Hall and is now privately owned, it is not open to the public for visits on a daily basis. Tourists can only admire its architectural beauty from outside the walls.