Campus buildings founded by Tan Kah Kee

Campus buildings founded by Tan Kah Kee

The campus buildings founded by Tan Kah Kee are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The campus building complex founded by Tan Kah Kee is divided into two parts: Jimei School Village and Xiamen University. In the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1874), Tan Kah Kee was born in Jimei, Xiamen. At the age of 17, he went to Singapore with his father to learn business, engaging in rice, pineapple, and rubber trades. Through diligence and skillful management, after over 20 years of hard work, he grew into a prominent industrialist known across the Nanyang region. In 1893, Tan Kah Kee returned to his hometown for the first time and funded the establishment of “Tizhai Private School” with 2,000 yuan, marking the beginning of his philanthropic contributions to education. After the success of the 1911 Revolution, driven by the patriotic belief that “education is the foundation of a nation, and establishing schools is the duty of citizens,” Tan Kah Kee returned to his hometown in 1912 to begin his challenging journey of promoting education for the nation. In 1913, Tan Kah Kee reclaimed land in Jimei Dashe and built the first batch of school buildings, founding Jimei Primary School. From 1916 to 1927, over the course of more than ten years, Tan Kah Kee’s enterprises achieved tremendous growth, providing substantial funding for school construction. During this period, he successively founded Jimei Girls’ Primary School, Jimei Normal School, Jimei Middle School, Jimei Kindergarten, Jimei Aquatic Products Department, Jimei Commercial Department, Xiamen University, Jimei Girls’ Normal School, Jimei Agriculture and Forestry Department, Jimei Chinese Studies Department, Jimei Kindergarten Teachers’ School, and Jimei Rural Teachers’ School in Jimei and on Xiamen Island. By 1933, the 20th anniversary of Tan Kah Kee’s educational endeavors, nearly 60 various school buildings and supporting facilities had been completed. With comprehensive academic offerings, excellent teaching conditions, and an assembly of renowned educators, Jimei Schools and Xiamen University became prestigious institutions, renowned across southern China and even in Southeast Asian countries.

During the War of Resistance against Japan, Jimei Schools and Xiamen University were forced to relocate inland. Jimei school buildings were bombed several times by Japanese aircraft, while Xiamen University was turned into a military barracks by the Japanese invaders, suffering severe damage. After the war, some of the school buildings were repaired. During the Chinese Civil War, Jimei school buildings were once again damaged by gunfire. By the end of 1949, Tan Kah Kee returned to Xiamen. After inspecting Jimei and Xiamen University, he decided to rebuild Jimei School Village and expand Xiamen University. In early 1950, Tan Kah Kee returned to Singapore, sold all his overseas businesses for cash, and brought the proceeds back to China, investing them entirely in school reconstruction. By the end of 1960, in addition to fully restoring the war-damaged school buildings, a large number of new structures were also built. Thus, the architectural scale of Jimei School Village and Xiamen University was ultimately completed.

The campus building complex founded by Tan Kah Kee can be preliminarily divided into three stages based on architectural development and stylistic evolution. The first is the early stage from 1913 to 1916. During this period, building designs were entirely brought from Singapore, and the architectural styles largely inherited those of colonial Southeast Asia and Western classicism. The second is the expansion stage from 1916 to 1927. With abundant funding for construction and accumulated experience from early school architecture, Tan Kah Kee enjoyed greater freedom in site selection and layout. In campus planning, Tan Kah Kee excelled at using the environment to enhance the grandeur of the buildings and emphasized clustered layouts. Architecturally, a Sino-Western fusion style emerged, combining Chinese-style roofs with Western-style structures. The third is the finalization stage of the Tan Kah Kee architectural style from 1950 to 1960. During this period, campus planning and layout paid greater attention to adapting to local conditions, forming a unity between architecture and nature. Architecturally, the combination of traditional Chinese large roofs with Western-style structures became the defining feature of Tan Kah Kee-style buildings.

The campus buildings founded by Tan Kah Kee embody strong patriotic ideals and deep local sentiment. Over decades of building schools, Tan Kah Kee consistently integrated practical Western architectural forms with traditional Chinese styles and construction techniques. On individual buildings, this resulted in a Sino-Western fusion style, combining Western structures with Chinese roofs — famously dubbed “wearing a suit and a straw hat” — the signature Tan Kah Kee architectural style. In group layouts, Chinese-style large-roofed buildings were always central, with Western-roofed structures serving as auxiliary. The central buildings were larger in scale and more imposing than the auxiliary ones. The renowned architect Chen Congzhou once commented, “The Tan Kah Kee style, with its Xiamen local character, holds an indelible place in the history of modern architecture.” “Mr. Tan Kah Kee’s thoughts and artistic vision reflect a deep connection to both hometown and country — these sentiments are vividly expressed in his buildings.” The campus buildings founded by Tan Kah Kee are exemplary and unique models of modern Chinese campus architecture.

In 2005, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units by the Fujian Provincial Government.

In 2006, it was designated as part of the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units by the State Council.

(1) Shangzhong Building Complex: Bounded on the east by Shengguang Road, contiguous with the protected area of the main building, on the south by the school wall, and extending 15 meters outward to the west and north, with adjacent buildings included in the protected area.

(2) Yungong Building Complex: Extending 15 meters outward to the east, up to Lingxi West Road; extending 10 meters outward to the south and north, with adjacent buildings included in the protected area.

(3) Nanqiao Building Complex: For Nanqiao No. 13, No. 14, No. 15, and No. 16, extend 15 meters outward to the east, with adjacent buildings included in the protected area; bounded by a 15-meter extension to the south, up to Longchuan Road to the west, and by the school wall to the north.

(4) Nanxun Building Complex: Extend 40 meters outward to the east, west, and north, with adjacent buildings included in the protected area; bounded by Longchuan Road to the south.

(5) Science Building: Extend 15 meters outward to the east, west, south, and north, with adjacent buildings included in the protected area.

(6) Yangzheng Building: Extend 15 meters outward to the east and north; bounded by the school wall to the south, contiguous with the Shangzhong Building Complex protection area to the west, and bounded by Shengguang Road.

(7) Qunxian Building Complex: Extend 12 meters outward to the north along the connecting line of the outer corners of each building’s exterior walls, and 15 meters outward to the east, west, and south.

(8) Furong Building Complex: Extend 15 meters outward to the east, west, south, and north from the exterior walls of Furong No. 3; for Furong No. 2 and No. 4, extend 15 meters outward to the east, west, south, and north along the connecting line of the exterior wall corners; for Furong No. 1 and the Anthropology Museum, extend 15 meters outward to the east, west, south, and north along the connecting line of the exterior wall corners.

(9) Jiannan Building Complex: Extend 15 meters outward to the east, west, south, and north along the connecting line of the exterior wall corners of each building.

Tan Kah Kee (1874–1961), also known as Jiageng, with the courtesy name Keci, was born on September 12 of the 13th year of the Tongzhi reign (1874) in Jimei She, Renlidian, Tong’an County (now Jimei Town, Xiamen City). In the eighth year of the Guangxu reign (1882), he attended Nanxuan Private School. In the autumn of the 16th year of Guangxu (1890), he traveled south to Singapore to assist his father in managing the Shun’an Rice Store. In the 27th year of Guangxu (1901), he funded the construction of Jimei’s “Tizhai Private School” with 2,000 yuan, distributed the book Newly Compiled Effective Prescriptions across villages in Southern Fujian, and engaged in numerous charitable acts, earning widespread respect.

In the spring of the 30th year of Guangxu (1894), due to his father’s bankruptcy in business, he began to... (Tan Kah Kee detailed information++)