Former Site of Peiyang University

Former Site of Peiyang University

The former site of Peiyang University is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former site of Peiyang University is located at No. 2 Guangrong Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin. Peiyang University was the first university in modern Chinese history. Originally named “Tianjin Peiyang Western School,” it was later renamed Peiyang University, then National Peiyang University (in 1913). It originated from the Tianjin Peiyang Western School, founded on October 2, 1895, and was China’s first comprehensive modern university. The establishment of Peiyang University not only promoted the creation of China’s first modern education system and set an example for the development of higher education institutions in the early stages of the country, but more importantly, it marked the end of over a thousand years of traditional feudal education in China and heralded the beginning of modern education.

Sheng Xuanhuai, an industrialist who strongly supported Li Hongzhang in developing the Westernization Movement in Tianjin, was the founder of Peiyang University.

In September 1951, Peiyang University merged with Hebei Institute of Technology and was renamed Tianjin University. The original campus is now part of the current Hebei University of Technology campus.

The surviving structures of the original Peiyang University site include the South Building, the North Building, and the Tuan Cheng (Fortified Tower), all located at No. 2 Guangrong Road, Hongqiao District, Tianjin. The North Building was constructed in 1936, covering a land area of 2,315 square meters with a building area of 4,805.11 square meters. The South Building was built in 1933, covering a land area of 2,336 square meters with a building area of 4,902.45 square meters. The Tuan Cheng was built around 1930, covering a land area of 939.42 square meters, with an overall length of 30.7 meters and width of 30.6 meters.

The original South Building and North Building of Peiyang University are both three-story brick-concrete structures. Their layouts are symmetrical, with simple and elegant designs, and they were built using imported German materials. The exterior walls are made of red bricks. The South Building currently serves as the Hebei University of Technology History Museum, with a plaque reading “Peiyang Institute of Technology” above the entrance. There is an emergency exit and fire escape stairway on the east side of the building, and each floor has long, narrow corridors. The North Building is now the Fifth Teaching Building of Hebei University of Technology. The plaque above the entrance, reading “North Building,” is worn and the lettering is fading. The roof has been repaired, and there are two damaged lamp posts at the entrance. The building features a hexagonal foyer at the entrance, with corridors extending to both sides. The Tuan Cheng is a single-story brick-and-wood structure with a sloped tiled roof and gray brick exterior walls. It once served as the administrative office of Peiyang University. Bridge expert Mao Yisheng lived and worked here when he served as president of Peiyang University in August 1945. The outer walls of the Tuan Cheng are decorated with crenellations, the rooms have fireplaces, and the main gate of the courtyard is on the south side.

Currently, the former site of Peiyang University has been approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. The original North Building, South Building, and Tuan Cheng of Peiyang University are all classified as key protected historical buildings.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Tianjin Municipal Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units