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Huize No. 1 Middle School
Qujing, Yunnan, China
Visitors walking through the gates of Huize No. 1 Middle School encounter a physical timeline of Chinese educational history. Located in the southern part of Huize County, the 126,000-square-meter campus merges contemporary academic life with preserved Qing Dynasty architecture.
The institution began in 1926 as the Middle School Hall on Mantis Cross Street. Over the decades, it absorbed local vocational and normal schools, adapting to the shifting political landscape of the twentieth century. In 1955, the school relocated to its current grounds, anchored by a newly constructed Soviet-style U-shaped building. This mid-century addition marked a period of formal expansion for the region's public education system.
The grounds hold a rare collection of provincial and national cultural heritage sites directly within the student environment. The Huize Confucian Temple, originally built in 1721 during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, sits at the heart of the campus. Its main structure, the Dacheng Hall, features a traditional single-eave resting-mountain roof supported by a mixed wooden framework. Students attend classes alongside the Rong Family Shrine and the historic Yunnan and Fujian Guild Halls. These centuries-old structures provide a quiet, enduring backdrop to the daily routines of thousands of teenagers.
Today, the school accommodates over 5,500 students across more than 60 classes. It operates under the motto 'Establish oneself with heavy virtue, encourage learning and strive for strength.' The institution functions as a primary engine for social mobility in the Wumeng Mountain region. In recent years, it has sent tens of thousands of graduates to top-tier universities, including dozens to Tsinghua University and Peking University.
The architecture of Huize No. 1 Middle School physically embodies its mission. The modern teaching buildings, equipped with smart technology, stand shoulder-to-shoulder with ancient shrines and temples. This environment offers students a daily physical connection to their cultural heritage while preparing them for the future.