Former Building of Peiyang University

Former Building of Peiyang University

The Former Building of Peiyang University is a protected cultural heritage site of Tianjin.

Former Building of Peiyang University

Era: Republican Era

Address: No. 6 Guangrong Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin

Category: Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Architecture

The original Peiyang University retains two teaching buildings, located at No. 6 Guangrong Road within the campus of Hebei University of Technology. Peiyang Western School was established in 1895 as China’s first modern university. In 1902, it moved to the former site of the Wugu Arsenal in Xigu and was renamed Peiyang University.

The two surviving teaching buildings were built in 1933 and 1936 respectively, and are well-preserved and still in use. There are two original Peiyang University teaching buildings, each three stories high. The North Building was constructed in 1936, covering a land area of 1,606.5 square meters with a floor space of 4,805.11 square meters. The South Building was built in 1933, occupying 1,620.5 square meters with a floor space of 4,902.45 square meters.

Peiyang University was China’s first comprehensive university, with a history spanning over 100 years and exerting significant influence on universities in China. During the May Fourth Movement, the university produced a number of revolutionary leaders such as Zhang Tailei and Chen Yixun, who became the earliest founders and organizers of the Communist Party in Tianjin. From 1946 to 1948, under the leadership of the underground Communist Party, patriotic student movements were carried out, including anti-civil war, anti-hunger protests, protection of school property, and preparation for liberation, nurturing a large number of cadres.