Hangchow University Historic Site

Hangchow University Historic Site is a famous National Historic Site & Cultural Heritage under State Protection of the People's Republic of China. ^[1]

Introduction

The site is located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and close to the Qiantang River and the Liuhe Pagoda. It currently located in (and is a part of) the Zhijiang Campus of Zhejiang University, and the university manages its daily operation. The site has very beautiful landscapes and architectures. It became a national key historic site mainly due to its precious architectures of the Republic of China Era (1912 - 1949), which has a special combination of both the Western and Chinese architectural styles.

Brief history

The Hangchow University (it's a different concept from the later Hangzhou University, and the Hangchow is the old English translational form for the present Hangzhou) was also a root of current modern Zhejiang University. It was one of the thirteen most well-known Protestant universities in China's modern history before 1951.

The history of Hangchow University can be traced back to 1845. A [minister] named Divie Bethune McCartee of American Presbyterians (North, PN) first founded the Ningpo Boy’s Academy / Boarding School (崇信義塾 / 崇信义塾; Chinese literal signification: Public School of Esteeming Faith; Ningpo stands for present Ningbo)　in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. 1867, the school was moved into Hangzhou and changed its name into Hangchow Presbyterian Boys' School (育英義塾 / 育英义塾; Chinese literal signification: Public School for Educating Elites).

1897, the school opened courses for higher education, and became a college, named Hangchow Presbyterian College (育英書院 / 育英书院). 1914, its name was changed into Hangchow Christian College (之江大學 / 之江大学). 1909, the Presbyterian Church in the United States also participated in the college's daily operation. During the Northern Expedition (1926–1927) period, the college was ceased for a while. 1931, the government renamed the college as the (Private) Hangchow College of Sciences and Humanities (私立之江文理學院 / 私立之江文理学院), because the college itself only had two branches - science and literature, at that time. During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the college moved through numerous places to avoid the Japanese invasion and military campaign, including Tunxi (in current Anhui Province), Shanghai, Shaowu (in current Fujian Province), Guiyang (the capital city of Guizhou Province), Chongqing (the war-period capital of China), etc. 1948, the college had two more faculties of engineering and business (business school), and was promoted into the university status, named Hangchow University (之江大學 / 之江大学).

After setting up of the People's Republic of China, in 1951, the university was handed over to the Zhejiang Provincial Government, and all the American teachers were sent back to United States. 1952, the Adjustment for University Colleges and Departments (中國高校院系調整 / 中国高校院系调整) started, and the most part of Hangchow University was merged into the Zhejiang University. ^[2]

See also

• Zhejiang University
• The Qinghuayuan (Tsinghua Garden, 清华园) of Tsinghua University

References