Former Site of Yucai School

Former Site of Yucai School

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

Era: 1939–1945

Type: Important Modern Historical Site and Representative Architecture

Region: Hechuan District, Chongqing

Batch: Sixth Batch

The former site of Yucai School is located within Gusheng Temple on Fenghuang Mountain in Gusheng Village, Caojie Town, Hechuan District, Chongqing. The temple, which houses the site, is a Qing Dynasty building composed of a mountain gate, Ox King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, Tongshan Hall, and side rooms. It features a symmetrical central axis oriented at 270°, covering a total area of 4,390 square meters with a total floor space of 2,419 square meters. In 1939, with the support of the CCP’s Southern Bureau, Mr. Tao Xingzhi founded Yucai School here to implement his “Life Education” philosophy. He invited renowned scholars and experts of the time to teach at the school. The campus also housed a Communist Party branch, and notable figures such as Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao visited to give lectures and inscriptions for the students. After Yucai School relocated from Gusheng Temple in 1945, the original appearance of the site has been well preserved. The Mahavira Hall is a hip-and-gable roofed post-and-lintel wooden structure with small blue tiles on the roof. It is seven bays wide (24 meters) and four bays deep (10 meters), standing 8.20 meters tall with a floor area of 240 square meters. The main ridge is decorated with a design of two dragons chasing a pearl. Flower-shaped brackets are placed between the columns, and the bracket arms feature exquisitely carved animals and plants. The stone column bases are carved with floral designs, and the platform is plain with simple steps. Yucai School played a significant role in nurturing a large number of talents for China’s national liberation and the construction of New China, holding an important place in the history of modern Chinese education.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units