Former Site of St. James' School

Former Site of St. James' School

The former site of St. James' School is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former site of St. James' School is located on Lion Mountain in Jinghu District, Wuhu City, and consists of three individual buildings: Boyantang, Yidetang, and Jingfangtang. Among them, Boyantang was built in 1910, covering an area of 545 square meters with a floor space of 1,808 square meters; Yidetang was built in 1924, covering an area of 307 square meters with a floor space of 754 square meters; Jingfangtang was built in 1936, covering an area of 336 square

Introduction to the Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units in Anhui Province: 47 meters, with a floor space of 672 square meters.

The three buildings are situated at the same horizontal level, with the main building, Boyantang, at the front, and Yidetang and Jingfangtang positioned to the east and west respectively at the back, forming a triangular layout. All buildings are constructed with red bricks, featuring ventilation holes in the base, hip-and-valley roofs covered with red machine-made tiles, and protruding brick pillars with intricate and elegant facade moldings. Boyantang faces south with its back to the north, centered around a bell tower with an east-west symmetrical layout, balanced and rigorous. It was funded by Lu Yide, then president of the Anglican Church, who sought assistance from American missionary Mrs. Wanbo Ren. Yidetang faces west and is situated northeast of Boyantang, also funded by Lu Yide through donations. Jingfangtang faces east and is located northwest of Boyantang, built with funds donated by Li Jingfang, the eldest son of Li Hongzhang. All three buildings are well-preserved.

St. James' School was one of the earliest mission schools in Wuhu. Veteran revolutionaries such as Wang Jiaxiang, Yun Daiying, and Li Kenong also studied at St. James' School, where they led progressive activities during their school years. The site features beautiful and distinctive architecture, holding significant historical and artistic value, and serves as an important place for patriotic education.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) designated the former site of St. James' School as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Protected Area: Outside the site’s walls — 40 meters east to the fence of Wuhu Textile Factory, 30 meters south to the fence of Wuhu Textile Factory, 30 meters west to the swimming pool, and 30 meters north to the sports field.

Construction Control Zone: Same as the protected area.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units