Former Site of Nankai School

Former Site of Nankai School

The former site of Nankai School is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former site of Nankai School in Tianjin was initially built in the 30th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (), located at No. 20-22 Sima Road, Nankai District, Tianjin. The surviving structures include the South Building, East Building, North Building, and Ruiting Auditorium. It was a private secondary school founded by Yan Fansun, a modern Chinese educator. Currently, the former site of Nankai School in Tianjin has been approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and designated by the Tianjin Municipal People's Government as a Historical Architectural Conservation Area with Special Protection Status.

Covering an area of 33,000 square meters, the Nankai School site includes structures such as the East Building (1906), Fan Sun Building (1929), Ruiting Auditorium (1936), and the Physics Laboratory Building.

Among them, the East Teaching Building (referred to as the "East Building") is the main structure of the former Nankai School site. Located at No. 20 Nankai Sima Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, it covers a total area of 952 square meters and was built in 1906. It served as the central building of Nankai School at the time. The two-story brick-and-wood structure features a sloped roof and a façade adorned with red bricks inlaid into a blue brick base. The first floor has a prominent main entrance with square windows, while the second floor is characterized by continuous Romanesque arched windows and simplified Ionic column arches. Though the overall form of the building is simple, its detailed ornamentation is elaborate, exemplifying a classic architectural style—Romanesque in inspiration yet infused with elements of traditional Chinese decorative arts. Other buildings at the Nankai School largely follow this same stylistic approach.

In 1977, the Tianjin Municipal Committee decided to designate the East Teaching Building, where [Name] studied during his time at Nankai School (1913–1917), as the site of a memorial hall, and it was listed as a Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In January 1978, [Name] inscribed the name of the memorial hall. On March 5 of the same year, the Memorial Hall of [Name]’s Revolutionary Activities in Tianjin During His Youth was officially opened to the public.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units