How did Guangzhou No.1 Middle School get its start? It began humbly in rented rooms before growing into the institution we see today. Guangzhou No.1 Middle School is more than just a school. It is a landmark with a rich history.
Guangzhou No.1 Middle School was established on August 1 1928. It holds the distinction of being the first public secondary school. It was founded by the Guangdong National Government. This makes it Guangzhou’s first municipal public secondary school.
Initially the school operated in rented space. These were thirteen shopfronts called Tianzi Building. They were near the Sacred Heart Cathedral on Yide Road. The school started with five classes. There were two for high school and three for junior high.
In 1929 Guangzhou No.1 Middle School moved. Its new location was the former Xuehaitang Academy. This site is now the location of Guangzhou No.2 Middle School.
A significant change occurred in 1931. The Guangzhou College of Commerce’s upper grades merged into Guangzhou No.1 Middle School’s high school division. The school shifted its focus. It began offering general classes instead of specialized subjects.
Another merger took place in 1936. Guangzhou Municipal First and Third Middle Schools combined. They became Guangzhou No.1 Middle School for boys. The Second Middle School became the school for girls. Also in 1936 the Chinese Communist Party established a secret branch within the school.
During the war in 1938 Guangzhou fell. Guangzhou No.1 Middle School briefly set up a tutoring center in Hong Kong. Financial problems forced it to close. After the war in 1945 the school’s original site was occupied. It was used by the Guangdong Provincial Cadre Training Corps. In 1946 the school administration applied to the city government. They wanted to take over the former Guangzhou No.2 Middle School site. This was in Huangsha. Zhang Fa Kui helped the school. He was the director of the Guangzhou Branch. Thanks to Zhang Fa Kui’s intervention Guangzhou No.1 Middle School fully reclaimed its school site. By 1947 repairs were mostly complete. Enrollment numbers increased.
In 1960 Guangzhou No.1 Middle School was recognized. It became a key secondary school in Guangdong Province. It also became a key school in Guangzhou. In 1978 it was designated a key school in Liwan District. By 1994 it was among the first to be named a first-class school in Guangdong Province. In 2001 it was chosen. It was one of 24 Guangzhou schools to create national示范性 high schools.
In 2000 Guangzhou No.1 Middle School merged. It joined with Guangzhou No.51 Middle School. The latter was located on Penglai Road. In August 2005 the high school division relocated. It moved to a new campus on Datansha Island. The government funded this new site. Today it accommodates three grades with 50 classes. There are 2547 students. The original Huangsha Dadao campus became the junior high division. The Guangzhou No.51 Middle School site became Guangzhou No.1 Middle School’s experimental school.
Since 2010, Guangzhou No.1 Middle School has been supporting the Second Middle School in Enping City. In July 2018 the Guangzhou No.1 Middle School Education Group was formed. Member schools include Guangzhou No.1 Foreign Language School. Others are Guangzhou Liwan District Shuangqiao School and Guangzhou No.93 Middle School. Also Guangzhou Liwan District Heshun Primary School.
Originally a private foreign language school became public in 2022. It is now Guangzhou Liwan District Yao Zhonghong School. The Guangzhou No.1 Middle School Yao Zhonghong School District. In 2023 local authorities authorized Guangzhou No.1 Middle School. It now manages Guangzhou No. 93 Middle School. It also manages Guangzhou No. 23 Middle School. Plus Guangzhou Liwan District Shuangqiao School and Guangzhou Mei Hua Middle School. The first three became the Red Rock. They are now the Shifu and Shuangqiao schools of Guangzhou No.1 Middle School.
The school motto is diligence sincerity courage perseverance. This was established in 1928 by Situ Youxian. He was the first principal. He was 34 years old. He hoped to inspire students. He wanted them to be studious practical brave and determined.
Today Guangzhou No.1 Middle School covers 73000 square meters. There are two campuses. The school has 54 high school classes and 28 junior high classes. There are 227 faculty members. Among them are 33 senior high school teachers and 66 first-class teachers. The school continues to uphold its traditions. It provides quality education to its students.