Shanxi University

Shanxi University

Shanxi University was founded in 1902. It has a special school for middle school and a special school for Western learning. It was jointly founded by Cen Chunxuan, governor of Shanxi, and Timothy Li, an Englishman. Shanxi University is one of the three earliest national universities in China. Together with Beiyang University (now Tianjin University) and Beijing University (now Peking University), Shanxi University opened a new era of higher education in China.

In 1912, the University changed its name to Shanxi University; in 1918, it changed its name to national third university; in 1931, it changed its name to national Shanxi University; in 1953, the original Shanxi University was abolished due to the adjustment of departments and colleges, and the College of technology was transformed into Taiyuan Institute of Technology (now Taiyuan University of Technology), the medical college into Shanxi Medical College (now Shanxi Medical University), and the two colleges of Arts and Sciences were merged and transformed into Shanxi Normal University (later merged) In 1999, the normal college of Shanxi University, Taiyuan Normal College and Shanxi Education College merged to form Taiyuan Normal College. In 1996, the former site of Shanxi University was approved by the people's Government of Shanxi Province as a cultural relic protection unit in Shanxi Province. In 2013, it was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council. The current site is Taiyuan Shiyuan middle school (houjiaxiang campus), a secondary school Affiliated to Taiyuan Normal University.

It is managed and used by Taiyuan Normal University.

Birth background

Middle school special room

After the "hundred day reform" in 1898 and the "Boxer Movement" in 1900, in order to maintain its autocratic rule, the Qing Dynasty, under various pressures at home and abroad, announced the implementation of the so-called "New Deal" at the beginning of 1901 (the 27th year of Guangxu), and the establishment of schools was the main content of its educational reform. In the same year, the Qing government issued an edict that "in addition to the actual rectification of the Beijing Normal University, all the academies in the provinces were changed into universities in the provincial capital, all the government departments were set up secondary schools in Zhili Prefecture, and all the counties were set up primary schools." At that time, there were "Jinyang academy" and "Lingde hall" in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. During the hundred day reform, Lingde hall was changed into Shanxi provincial capital school, and some reforms were carried out. On this basis, in early 1902, Shanxi governor Cen Chunxuan changed Lingde hall into Shanxi University according to the imperial court's decree. Yao Wendong, a candidate of Shanxi Province, was appointed as the first Supervisor (equivalent to the president). Gao Xie was the chief teacher and Gu Ruyong was the deputy chief teacher. Taking Wenying Hunan Provincial examination Academy of Taiyuan as the temporary school site, he accepted the students of Jinyang academy and Lingde hall and officially opened the school. Thus Shanxi University was formally established.

A study of Western Learning

During the Boxer Movement, more than 130 Catholic bishops and priests were killed in Shanxi, and the religious cases were particularly serious. Richard Timothy, a British Jesuit Baptist missionary who preached in Shanxi Province, proposed in March 1901 to the Qing Tingyi and plenipotentiary Li Hongzhang and Yi Zhe to use the Shanxi case to compensate 500000 taels of silver to set up a modern Chinese and Western University in Taiyuan to select outstanding students from the whole province to study modern knowledge. Later, on May 29, he submitted the seven articles of association of Shang Li Fu Xiang in handling Shanxi religious plan, in which the third article made a specific statement on this proposal. A total of 500000 taels of silver will be fined, and 50000 taels will be paid every year. Ten years ago, schools will be set up to teach useful learning and enlighten the people of Shanxi Province. Li Hongzhang and Yi zhe immediately agreed and telegraphed governor Cen Chunxuan to comply. In October, CEN Chunxuan sent Zhou Zhixiang to Shanghai to interview with Li Timothy, and agreed on eight contracts for the establishment of Zhongxi University. At the beginning of 1902, when Li Timo and his family came to Taiyuan to sign a formal contract, they knew that Shanxi University had been set up in Shanxi Province. So he suggested Cen Chunxuan to hold a meeting between Shanxi University and the Chinese and Western University he planned to establish. After the merger, Shanxi University has set up two schools, one for Chinese students and the other for Western students. In this regard, CEN Chunxuan did not dare to agree to the proposal, which involved the issues of educational sovereignty and missionary work. Later, after repeated negotiations, the students of Xi'an University conducted a public opinion survey, considered the relevant details word by word, and agreed on 23 articles of the contract for the joint establishment of Shanxi University. On May 2, 1902 (June 7, 1902), the contract was signed by Shanxi Sidao and gentry, Li Timothy, and the proposed chief teacher of Xi'an University, Mr. Dun Chongli It was reported to Emperor Guangxu for approval.

After the contract came into effect, Shanxi University was restructured into two parts, that is, the original part of Shanxi University was changed into "middle school special room", the prime minister was Gu Ruyong (Shanxi Shenchi native, Jinshi origin, former head of the household department, Jinyang academy mountain chief), the chief teacher was Gao xiezeng (Hubei native, Hanlin origin, former Shanxi tixue envoy), and the proposed Chinese and western school was changed into the western school The premier of "Western learning special studio" is Timothy Li, and the general teacher is Dun Chongli. Therefore, Shanxi University has become a new school with the integration of China and the West.

Teaching charter

According to the Qing government in 1902 promulgated the "imperial school regulations" (known as the "renyin school system") and the next year re promulgated the "zouding school regulations" (known as the "renyin school system") The higher education is divided into three parts: higher school (University Preparatory), University (University Specialized) and University (also known as "Tongru academy", which is equivalent to graduate school, and admission is allowed only after graduation). The length of schooling of institutions of higher learning and universities is three years

The system lasts for five years. The subject curriculum and teaching of Shanxi University are basically established and gradually improved in accordance with the provisions of the new educational system.

On the teaching of special room in middle school

At the beginning of the junior high school, there were advanced courses and three-year preparatory courses. The teaching contents and methods basically inherited the old system of Lingde hall. The courses are divided into four subjects, namely, classics, history, politics and arts. Gu Ruyong talks about Warring States policies, Gao Xie talks about jinsilu, Jia Geng talks about Yugong, Tian yinghuang talks about Ming history, Cheng Lianzeng talks about arithmetic, and Hu Ying talks about geography In the middle, the students sit on both sides. The examination will be held on the eighth day of each month, and those with excellent results will be rewarded according to their grades.

In 1904, Baoxi, the new school promotion envoy, reorganized Shanxi University. Set the supervisor as the person in charge of the school, cancel the prime minister, change the name of the general teacher to the Dean, change the name of the general manager to the general manager, and change the name of the hall supervisor to the dean. In particular, the curriculum has been greatly reformed. Higher education is divided into two categories, one is based on literature, the other is based on science. In the old course, only one of the classics was reserved, and the others were cancelled. English, Japanese, French, Russian, algebra, geometry, physics, chemistry, geography, history, biology, pictures, music and gymnastics were added. The teachers made up their own handouts and printed them to the students. The main teachers are Fu Yue? Who talks about western history and has compiled three volumes of the history of Shanxi University. Zhang Youtong, a professor of Chinese history, studied Xu Jiyu's works and edited the history course of Shanxi University. Ren hongluan taught geography and edited the course of Chinese and foreign geography. Yang Peigen, Wang chuichun, Qi Chongren, Wu Weibin, Ren Zhongshu, etc., as well as Japanese teachers koguru Jiro, gangtian, etc., are teaching various subjects respectively. In 1905, the first group of students graduated from Zhongzhai. According to the results of graduation examination, they were awarded "Gongsheng name" of Bagong, Yougong and Suigong respectively. From 1904 to 1905, 40 outstanding students were selected to study in Japan.

On the teaching of Western Learning

At the beginning of the school, Liu Jiachen, a member of the Institute of Western learning, recruited students by assigning places to counties, and the school began on June 26, 1902 (May 21 of the lunar calendar). Governor Cen Chunxuan and important officials and gentry in the provincial capital attended the opening ceremony. In order to solve the shortage of school buildings, governor Cen Chunxuan specially ordered the West yamen courtyard of the Xuetai yamen of Huanghua hall near Bagong courtyard to be used as the dormitory for office, class and teaching. All the administrative affairs such as the general management of Xizhai and the students' meals and accommodation are under the unified management of Zhongzhai Institute and the supervision of SHETANG, only the teaching is relatively independent.

At the beginning of the school, there were only preparatory courses, most of them were foreigners, and the teaching contents and methods were basically the same as those of British schools. The courses offered are generally modern subjects, including English, mathematics, literature, law, physics, chemistry, mining, Gezhi, western history, world history, gymnastics, painting, etc., and there are physical and chemical experiments. In order to solve the problem of insufficient teaching materials for Xizhai, Timothy Li and others also opened Shanxi University College of translation in Shanghai from 1902 to 1908, which is the first college of translation in China. Translated and published a variety of textbooks and masterpieces of higher, secondary and normal schools, which played an important role in the introduction and dissemination of western advanced scientific and technological knowledge and academic ideas. Later, after a certain development, in 1906, Xizhai set up three special departments: Law, mineralogy and Gezhi, and in 1908, it set up another engineering department.

Examination admission

Xizhai students and Zhongzhai students also take a unified graduation examination in the provincial capital at the same time. If they pass the examination, they are all called "Juren". After entering Beijing to take the examination, they will be awarded "Jinshi". In addition, the provincial government also allocated special funds to send more than 50 outstanding graduates from Xizhai to study in the UK to study railway, mining, machinery and other engineering subjects. After returning home, these students made certain contributions to the development of mineral resources, the establishment of industry and the development of Engineering in our province.

Historical evolution

Shanxi University

Chinese PinYin : Shan Xi Da Xue Tang