Former site of Northeast University

The former site of Northeast University is a key cultural relic protection unit of the state. It began to be built in 1923 and was completed in 1930. After Zhang Xueliang was appointed president in 1928, he carried out coeducation, added colleges, hired professors, and vigorously developed physical education. A group of famous scholars such as Zhang Shizhao and Liang Sicheng taught here. The school has cultivated a number of outstanding revolutionary and construction talents for the country, which occupies an important position in the history of modern Chinese education.

Former site of Northeast University

The former site of Northeast University is located in the east of Beiling Street, Huanggu District, Shenyang City, Liaoning Province. It began to be built in 1923 and was completed in 1930. The former site of Northeast University adopts the architectural form of combining Chinese and western. The main buildings have their own characteristics and are well preserved. It is an excellent modern architectural complex with high historical, artistic and scientific value. It became a national key cultural relic protection unit on June 25, 2001.

On November 24, 2018, the former site of Northeastern University was selected as "the third batch of Chinese 20th century architectural heritage projects".

The history of the establishment

Northeast University is an institution of higher learning jointly founded by Fengtian and Heilongjiang provinces in the early 20th century. It is the largest comprehensive university composed of five colleges of Arts, law, science, engineering and education established in Northeast China during the period of the Republic of China. After Zhang Xueliang was appointed president in 1928, he carried out coeducation, added colleges, hired professors, and vigorously developed physical education. A group of famous scholars such as Zhang Shizhao and Liang Sicheng taught here. The school has cultivated a number of outstanding revolutionary and construction talents for the country, which occupies an important position in the history of modern Chinese education.

In 1923, when Northeast University was founded, the location chosen by the University was not Beiling campus or Nanhu campus, which is now known by people, but the former Fengtian normal school (later also known as Fengtian two-level normal school and Shenyang higher normal school) located near the scientist garden in Danan street, Shenhe District. At the beginning of 1921, Xie Yinchang, the director of Education Department of Fengtian, suggested to Zhang zuolin, the tour envoy of the three provinces of the east at that time: in order to make the Northeast rich and strong and not be invaded by outsiders, we must set up university education and cultivate talents in all aspects.

After the first Zhifeng war in 1922, Zhang zuolin adopted the suggestions of Fengtian governor Wang Yongjiang and education director Xie Yinchang to establish Northeast University. He told Wang Yongjiang: "people in Northeast China should not be denied the opportunity to go to university for further study. No matter how much money we spend, we'd rather raise 50000 less troops than run Northeastern University. " When the Japanese heard that Zhang zuolin was planning to set up northeast university, they sent consul general Mukden to "advise" Wang Yongjiang: "you don't have to set up a university. If you want to train scientific and engineering talents, you can go to Lushun engineering, study medicine at Nanman Medical University, and study literature and law in Japan." Japan's despicable behavior of obstructing Northeast University has aroused public indignation. The preparatory committee members are determined to set up northeast university.

In the spring of 1922, the Preparatory Committee of Northeastern University was set up, with the national Shenyang Normal University as the foundation to open two subjects of management and engineering, and the Fengtian literature school (formerly Fengtian law and politics school) as the foundation to open two subjects of literature and law.

At the beginning of running the school, the school temporarily used the old buildings of Normal University and liberal arts college in dananguan, which is the former site of national Shenyang Normal University near scientist garden in Danan street, Shenhe District, Shenyang today. On April 19, 1923, Fengtian provincial office issued the "seal of Northeast University". On April 26, it was officially opened, and Northeast University was established. Wang Yongjiang, then governor of Fengtian province, was also the first president. After the founding of Northeastern University, the original college gave way to the Fengtian municipal office, and the original site of the normal university was not enough for use. Therefore, with the consent of Prince zaifeng of Qing Dynasty, Wang Yongjiang bought about 500 mu of land near lingbaozi village in the southeast of Beiling (more than 300 mu of which are mausoleum land) as the new site of Northeastern University's science, engineering and agriculture, and officially started construction in May. After the summer vacation in 1925, science and engineering moved to the new school building in Beiling, and grammar was still taught in the old school building of Shenyang Normal University. Since then, Northeast University has been known as the south school and the north school.

In May of the same year, the provincial governor's office allocated 200 mu of official land near Changning temple as the factory site of Northeastern University for students' internship, and employed Dr. Yang Yuzhen, who returned from studying in Germany, as the factory director.

In 1928, Zhang Xueliang, a patriotic general who succeeded his father Zhang zuolin to preside over the military and political affairs of Northeast China, was also the third president of Northeast University. He has donated about 1.8 million silver yuan from most of his father's legacy for the expansion of school buildings, the high salary of well-known scholars, the purchase of foreign advanced experimental equipment, and the sending of outstanding students abroad.

In February 1929, Zhang Xueliang, who was in charge of Northeast China, built Hanqing South Building (teaching building of liberal arts college), Hanqing North Building (teaching building of law college) and student dormitories in order to change the inconvenient situation of North and South schools of Northeast University. In September, the south school moved to the north school.

In 1931, after the September 18th Incident, Northeast China fell into the Japanese occupation, and the new school buildings that had just been put into use were forced to stop. Northeast University became the first university in exile. The East master students first went to Peking, then moved to Kaifeng and Xi'an, and then went to Santai to study and struggle all the way.

In 1938, the national Xi'an temporary University composed of National Peking University, national Beiyang University, national Beiping Normal University, national Northeast University Institute of technology and private Jiaozuo Institute of technology moved from Xi'an to Hanzhong to form the national northwest United University, and the national Changsha temporary University composed of National Peking University, National Tsinghua University and private Nankai University moved from Changsha to Kunming National Southwest United University.

A brief introduction to the former site of Dongda

From the north gate of the former site of Dongda, the first one to come is the headmaster's residence. In the early days, there were guards here. It is said that Zhang Xueliang once lived on the second floor. The entrance hall on the first floor of the principal's residence can lead to the boys' dormitory. Further on, a new wall blocked our way. Take a detour to the main entrance of the boys' dormitory, which has been transformed into a guest house. Now the whole building is vacant and under renovation. Looking from the corridor, dozens of small houses with an area of more than ten square meters are arranged in turn. If it is not prompted by the plastic steel windows and network cables in the rooms, students will surely have the illusion that they will return to the dormitory during the school holidays. All the way from the boys' dormitory to the west, there is an activity center for veteran cadres. This is the girls' dormitory of that year, which is only two stories high. The building area is much smaller than that of the boys' dormitory, and the interior decoration is not as good as other architectural styles of the same period. However, this building caused a sensation at that time, which is no less than any historical event in the history of Northeastern University.

Before Zhang Xueliang became president of Northeast University, there were no women's universities in Northeast China, and all universities did not recruit women students. At the beginning of taking office, president Zhang Xueliang advocated coeducation. In September 1928, a total of 50 female students in various subjects entered Northeastern University. Although female students accounted for only 6% of the students at that time, it was a good start for Northeastern University. In order to encourage female students to study hard after entering school, Zhang Xueliang also asked his wife Yu Fengzhi to attend classes in the Department of political science of East University.

Near the girls' dormitory, there are many two-story buildings. These are the staff houses of Northeast University. President Zhang Xueliang has paid a lot of money and recruited many excellent teachers. Zhang Shizhao, Liang Shuming, Luo Wengan, Feng Zuxun, Liu Xianzhou and other famous teachers have taught at the University. Liang Sicheng and Lin Huiyin have also come to the University at the invitation of president Zhang Xueliang to create the first architectural department in China. During the walk, I don't know which rooms have left the figures of these masters. The South and North floors of Hanqing are opposite to each other. They are hidden in the courtyard, and few people disturb them. The original library building separated by a wall still retains its elegant style. The library building is in the shape of an airplane and has three floors. The first floor is the library, the second floor is the borrowing room and office, and the third floor is the reading hall. The secondary lighting design in the library is very effective, which is praised by many Chinese and foreign architects. After the fall of Northeast China in those years, the library of Northeast University was occupied by Japanese invaders. They imprisoned and shot the Anti Japanese patriots here. There are still many bullet marks on the red brick wall behind the library. The former site of Northeast University Library is now used by Liaoning Provincial Archives. It is reported that the provincial archives will be moved to Hunnan New Library.

The stadium, located in the north of the former site of Northeast University, has witnessed the glorious moment of Liaoning sports. The stadium was the first modern stadium in China at that time and was built to hold the 14th North China Games. The stadium includes a 400 meter track and field field, two basketball courts, two volleyball courts and two tennis courts. The stadium covers an area of more than 3000 square meters. The East, West and north sides are the stands, which are horseshoe shaped and can accommodate 30000 people. Because the main stands are Roman style, they are also called Roman horseshoe stadium. At the 14th North China sports meeting in May 1929, Liu Changchun, an athlete of the East University, broke the national records of the three sprint events of 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters. General Zhang Xueliang watched his game here, and Yu Fengzhi presented him with a prize.

"The so-called university is not a building." the longer the history of a university is, the stronger the cultural atmosphere it has accumulated, and the school's temperament will condense in the architecture.

The former site of Northeast University, which is now located at No.45 Beiling Street, Huanggu District, is still full of the beauty of simplicity and tranquility after 90 years of wind and rain. The Nanhu campus of Northeast University is a planning formation, and it still uses the planning and design of the 1950s to this day. One university, two cultural security units, these