Dade Academy

　　Located just south of Daxi’er, the commercial center of Guiyang, is Dade Academy. To the south lie Dakaimen and Jiaxiu Tower. Many people visit this renowned school, which has weathered a century of changes, overcome decades of challenges, traversed a long historical journey, and achieved abundant accomplishments over 100 years, in search of its glorious past.

　　 Dade Academy is situated in the bustling area of Guiyang. Originally built during the Yuan Dynasty as the Temple of Nan Jiyun, it underwent multiple renovations and expansions during the Ming and Qing dynasties and was transformed into the Zhonglie Palace. In the courtyard, the ground is covered with purple phoenix tree flowers, filling the air with a faint fragrance. Today, the academy serves as a leisure destination that combines a theater, bookstore, and teahouse. Passing through the playground behind Zhonglie Palace leads to the main section of the former Dade School site — a typical Ming and Qing-style quadrangle courtyard. The Dade School History Exhibition, located in the auditorium, showcases how this private elementary school, which initially had only twenty-some students, developed into a comprehensive institution with over 1,600 students.

　　 Both in the past and present, Dade Academy represents a facet of Guiyang’s culture. In 1894, when the trend of studying Western languages and science swept across the country, even the remote city of Guiyang in the southwest established the Jingshi School. It selected top students from across the province to cultivate the younger generation with modern education. Although the Jingshi School was disbanded after the failure of the Kang-Liang Reform, Huang Ganfu, a former student, gathered like-minded friends and founded the Dade Book Society in the Zhonglie Palace of Guiyang City in the 27th year of the Guangxu reign (1901). Initially called the Mathematics Hall, the Dade Book Society, and the People’s Elementary School, it was renamed Dade School in the second year of the Republic of China (1912), later adding a middle school. In 1925, a girls' division was established, making it one of Guizhou Province’s well-known private schools. From its inception, Dade School advocated gender equality, pioneering girls’ education in Guiyang. With the motto “Diligent Study, Active Practice, and Awareness of Shame,” it emphasized the integration of knowledge and action in teaching methods, fostering students’ creativity and practical skills. It encouraged breaking out of provincial isolation and looking toward the world. It was among the first schools in Guizhou to send people abroad for inspection and to dispatch students overseas. Additionally, in the history of cultural and educational development in Guizhou, Dade was one of the first schools to introduce scientific teaching instruments and also the birthplace of the New Drama Movement in the region. It can be said that Dade Academy was a symbol of civilization in Guiyang at that time, dispelling the ignorance in the hearts of the mountain city's people and opening another window for external exchange and learning.

　　 Wang Ruofei, a revolutionary pioneer, attended Guiyang Dade School in 1905. Dade School is well known for having been headed by the renowned democratic educator and scholar Huang Qisheng (who served as the external liaison representative for the Guizhou government at the time) and for educating the famous Chinese Communist martyr Wang Ruofei. A memorial hall for Wang Ruofei and Huang Qisheng has been built in the back courtyard of the academy. On April 8 every year, commemorative events are held, and the statues of the two men in the courtyard are adorned year-round with flowers, left anonymously by visitors. It has become one of the important patriotic education bases in Guiyang.