What is the 103-year-old Xiamen University?

Among the recommendations of popular scenic spots in Xiamen, in addition to Gulangyu, Zhongshan Road, Zengcuoan and other scenic spots, Xiamen University (Siming Campus), as an educational place, is in the forefront, and it has also been listed as the “Most Beautiful University in China” many times.
Today is the 103rd birthday of Xiamen University. Whenever I come to the coast of the East China Sea and under the Five Old Peaks, standing on the beach of Baicheng, facing the sea and the flowers bloom in spring, no matter who it is, the green memories of my student days will always come to my mind.

On April 3, 2021, the centennial light show of Xiamen University was launched. Picture/Visual China
Xiamen University, founded in 1921, is the first university founded by overseas Chinese in modern history of China. Between the mountains and seas, Xiamen University can be called the “Xiamen People’s Park” surrounded by major scenic spots, the “Eriston Business School” with its own Internet celebrity temperament, and the “Southern Power” with no central knowledge and love.

The five old peaks overlook Xiamen University. Picture/Visual China
On the occasion of the 103rd birthday of Xiamen University, let Fengwujun take you to re-understand the most beautiful university in China between mountains and seas.

Xiamen People’s Park

“Classmate, can you tell me how to get to Furong Lake with black swans?” “Classmate, can you tell me how to get to the Furong Tunnel with graffiti?” Living on the most beautiful campus, every Xiamen college student is a “walking navigation”. Before the tourist reservation system was opened, there was a long queue at the gate of Xiamen University West Village every day, full of north-south tourists waiting to enter the school, so Xiamen college students always jokingly called the school “Xiamen People’s Park”.

Siyuan Valley, also known as Lover’s Valley, is a common existence in the secret place of Xiamen University. Photography/Guo Chen
Indeed, under the broad arms of the five old peaks, in the gentle embrace of the bay, backed by the thousand-year-old temple Nanputuo Temple, and the white city beach with waves and flowers when going out, Xiamen University is too suitable as the ultimate destination for travel, whether it is the black swan by the hibiscus lake, the graffiti on both sides of the hibiscus tunnel, or the secret lover’s valley, the idol. It’s like the upper string field of the play… It’s worthwhile for tourists to stop and wander.

However, Xiamen University is the distance of tourists and the hometown of countless Xiamen University students. For the “nostalgic poet” Yu Guangzhong, Xiamen University is the first stop for him to get along with the sea. On the way to school, he stepped on the “Lanling” bicycle at the seaside, “yellow sand and clear water, flying wheel passing by, making me enjoy every inch of wind.” Therefore, in the eyes of Xiamen adults, the sea is the endless boundary of the campus.

Xiamen University Hibiscus Tunnel Graffiti Wall. Picture/Visual China
Xiamen University is a university that is attached to the ocean, and several schools are open to the sea. Outside the gate of Baicheng School is the Baicheng Beach on the roundabout road, and the distance from the sea is almost within reach. In the morning, I went to the seaside to watch the tide, and at night, I sat and watched the stars and the moonlight on the sea. The stars shifted and changed day and night, and the waves of the White City Sea rose and fell, and the students of Xiamen University rose to the morning sun and slept on the waves.

White City Beach. Photography/Beeing
As a “mountain and sea school”, there are many sea-view classrooms and sea-view dormitories built on campus. The sea that can be seen in the Shijing and Lingyun dormitory buildings is the vast sea and sky after counting thousands of steps and climbing to the top of the mountain.

👈Swipe to the lefThe most beautiful stadium of Xiamen University. Left Photography/Wu Wei, Right Photography/Xiang Yue

The south school gate, which also faces the sea, was completed in 2017. Not far behind the school gate, the Jiagen statue is facing the south gate, looking at the sea in the distance. The world name correction is as Mr. Chen Jiageng wanted before his death — “When foreign ships come and go to Xiamen Port, you can see a spectacular university at a glance from the sea.” The magnificence of Xiamen University is not only in “the sea as the neighbor”. The buildings on the campus also integrate the strengths of China and the West, showing the inclusive mind of Xiamen University.

The statue of Mr. Chen Jiageng in front of the Qunxian Building. Photography/Beeing
The Qunxian Building Group built at the beginning of the establishment of the school (1921–1922) is a typical “Jiageng style building”. The five buildings covered by Cangying, Jimei, Qunxian, Tong’an and Yingxue are compared to “wearing suits and hats” — the walls are made of granite and stone, which is probably “suit fabric”; the roof is “Sanchuan Ridge, Xieshan Peak”, and the ridge tail is swallowtail, showing Chinese aesthetics.

Carved details of Qunxian Building and Jiannan Great Hall, photo above/Guo Chen, photo below/Li Ping’an
The buildings are lined up in a typical layout of one master and four slaves. The main building is the Qunxian Building, which is taken from the “Qunxian Zhi, Shaochang Xianji” in the Preface of Lanting Collection. Its architectural style is mostly derived from the residential buildings in southern Fujian; the name of Tong’an and Jimei is taken from Mr. Chen’s hometown, mainly Chinese style; the architectural style of the second floor of Yingying and Yingxue tends to be Western-style, “Che Yin is full of a bag of fling, diligent study; Sun Kang Yingxue is a lamp, and he studies hard. The name of the building implies Chen Jiagen’s encouragement and expectation for the students of Xiamen University.
The Furong Building Group, located on the shore of Furong Lake, was built in the 1950s and 1960s. It is also a combination of Chinese and Western styles. It is a Chinese-style roof and a Western-style exterior corridor, which is full of vicissitudes of time. As an ancient building, Hibiscus I to IV is still a student dormitory. A dormitory of Furong I is also a three academician who once walked out of the same room.

Furong №1 dormitory building. Photography/Li Ping’an

The scaling building. Photography/fairy board, picture/picture worm·creativity

The “strength of the South” with a hundred years of history

Xiamen University is not only the epitome of Xiamen’s urban development. This 103-year-old “strength in the south” has witnessed the century-old history of Xiamen. In 1921, Chen Jiageng founded Xiamen University, personally chose the campus site, and established 17 departments of five colleges, including arts, science, law, business and education. After running all over Xiamen Island, Chen Jiageng chose the ruins of Yanwuting, the place where Zheng Chenggong trained the army, as the school venue of Xiamen University. In 1954, a stone carving of “practicing gallbladder” was unearthed in front of the Qunxian Building. According to research, it is a stone component of the martial arts pavilion. The word “bladder training” is a key point for Zheng Chenggong to train soldiers. His ambition to patriotism and rejuvenate the country can be said to be the same.

The playground in front of the Lu Xun Memorial Hall of Xiamen University is the site of the martial arts arena. Photography/Guo Chenkai

Aerial photography of Xiamen University Library. Photography/Guo Chenkai
For a long time, the geographical location of Xiamen University is slightly remote. When you arrive at the campus, you have to sit on the small sampan from the current Narcissus Road. At that time, people did not understand why Chen Jiageng chose this location, but decades later, Xiamen Island was called the “Sea Garden”, and Xiamen University became the most beautiful university in China, just like the most beautiful scenery in the garden.

“The scenery is excellent, and there is never a salary”
Since the establishment of Xiamen University, the school has always been extremely generous to the faculty and staff. During the turbulent period of the 1920s and 1930s, many schools often could not pay their salaries, but Xiamen University had been fully funded due to the support of Chen Jiageng, and the monthly salary of professors could reach up to 400 yuan, which was equivalent to a small villa at that time. And the school never owes salary. Chen Jiageng said, “I’d rather drink porridge than owe the staff money.”
This was also confirmed by Lu Xun, who once taught here. He once commented on Xiamen University: “The scenery is excellent, and I never owe wages.”

Mr. Lu Xun of Xiamen University. Photography/Guo Chenkai
From September 1926 to January 1927, Mr. Lu Xun served as a professor in the Department of Chinese Literature of Xiamen University and a professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies, offering courses on the history of Chinese literature and the history of Chinese novels. Every time Lu Xun had a class, as soon as the bell rang, the classroom was already full of people, and the students who arrived later could only stand against the window against the wall to listen. Students are not satisfied with only listening to Lu Xun’s lectures, but often go to the dormitory to ask him about various questions. If they go out on the street, local students in Xiamen will act as translators of Minnan dialect.
During the four months of Xiamen University, Mr. Lu Xun produced a lot of articles, with a total of more than 170,000 words. The “From Baicao Garden to Sanwei Bookstore” and “Mr. Fujino” included in the primary school textbooks were all during the teaching period of Xiamen University. He mentioned Nanputuo Temple in the article “Writhen Behind the Grave”: “It’s so quiet around tonight, and the slight of wild burning rises at the foot of the mountain behind the house. Nanputuo Temple is still doing a puppet play, and the sound of gongs and drums comes from time to time, and it is even more silent at each interval.”

Nanputuo Temple is in the same frame as Song’en Tower. Photography/Qi Delong Dongqiang, Picture/Pictureworm·Creative

“I’d rather have Xiamen University than a building”
The emergence of National Xiamen University was after 1937. After 1929, under the double attack of capitalist economic crisis and Japanese imperialist dumping, Chen Jiageng’s enterprises suffered great losses and were on the verge of bankruptcy for years, and it was also difficult to raise funds for Xiamen University and Jimei. Relatives and friends around him advised him to stop funding universities to preserve his enterprise, but Chen Jiageng staftly refused — “Enterprises can close, and schools must not be suspended!” “I’d rather sell the building than support Xiamen University!”

Jiageng College, Xiamen University. Photography/Yi Xin
In such a difficult period, he raised funds for running the school in various ways and struggled to support it for several years until he sold the rubber garden, Chen Jiageng’s share capital and three buildings in Singapore. Finally, he was unable to support it. In the spring of 1937, he unconditionally dedicated Xiamen University to the national government at that time and changed it private to a national government. From 1921 to 1937, Chen Jiageng devoted himself to everything, destroyed his family and studied, and independently maintained Xiamen University for 16 years.

There is a Jingxian Pavilion behind the Jimei Building of Xiamen University in memory of Mr. Chen Jingxian, Chen Jiageng’s younger brother. He is Chen Jiageng’s most effective assistant for entrepreneurship and study, and can be called the “second schoolmaster” of Xiamen University. Photography/Li Ping’an

“The most perfect university east of Calcutta”
In September 1937, the Japanese army attacked Xiamen. Because Xiamen University was located on the front line of national defense and was forced to the fort, the shells hit directly into the campus of Xiamen University, and the houses were scattered and the buildings were destroyed. In order to protect the teachers and students in the school, Xiamen University was forced to move to Gulangyu Island. Due to the increasing war, it moved to Changting, a mountain city in western Fujian, in December.

Xiamen University White City School Gate. Photography/Guo Chen

The sound of the bell in Jiannan, the feelings of Xiamen University. Photography/Ye Heng
Except for three weeks of absence during the transfer period, the rest of the time, the voice of the chanting of the master Xia did not drop out. After moving to Ting, other universities moved to the west one after another. Xiamen University became the only remaining fruit in the southeast half, providing opportunities for many “out-of-school youth” in the southeast to study, and was known as the best university in the southeast during the Anti-Japanese War. At that time, Changting was remote and had no electricity, and there was only a faint light of green oil lamps in the dormitory. Sa Bendong, who was the president of Xiamen University at that time, was an expert in electrical engineering. He led several science and engineering assistants and instrument administrators to take apart the special car assigned to him by the school, converted the engine into a lighting generator, installed circuits and electric lights, and finally made the whole school bright.

Jiannan Auditorium on the upper string field. Photography/Ye Heng

Xiamen University Gymnasium. Photography/Li Ping’an
At that time, Xiamen University was considered to be one of the most complete universities in China. After visiting Changting, some British and American experts and scholars sighed that it was a great miracle in wartime. Ge Deshi, an American geogeographer, called Xiamen University “the most perfect university east of Calcutta”.

The intersection of Phoenix Blossom

Xiamen University spoils students in all aspects. Every time students return to school after the holiday, they have a feeling of going to the island for a vacation.

A little poetic in front of Nanguang Restaurant. Photography/Guo Chen
On weekdays, Xiamen adults live in a sea-view dormitory and eat free rice. The courses are all-inclusive. The Xiang’an campus of Xiamen University, known as “Xiang’an Royal Institute of Technology”, directly moved the cinema into the Dewang Library. At the Qixi Festival, some freshmen of the physics department also received a “diamond ring” made of Mossang stone… but the most What is important is the professor’s care for students.

Dewang Library, Xiang’an Campus of Xiamen University. Photography/Wang Yiyi, Picture/Tuchong·Creativity

The Museum of Anthropology of Xiamen University, supervised by the School of Humanities, is the only anthropology museum in the mainland. The first curator was Professor Lin Huixiang, a famous anthropologist. Photography/Guo Chen

Historically, there are many famous teachers at Xiamen University. Mr. Lin Yutang, a linguist, Mr. Lu Xun, a literary giant, Mr. Gu Jiegang, a historical master, and Mr. Lin Huixiang, an anthropologist, have all taught and educated people here. Mr. Yu Guangzhong, an alumnus and writer of Xiamen University, claims to be “a Xiamen people who travel south and north” and is very nostalgic for Xiamen University. The play Goldbach Conjecture performed in the school every year is to pay tribute to the mathematician Chen Jingrun.

The play Goldbach Conjecture. Photography/Ye Heng

Xiamen University’s “Chinese Drama” series performance, the graduation special performance of the Bole Crosstalk Conference. Photography/Ye Heng
In addition to regular courses, Xiamen University also has a special compulsory course — swimming class. As a coastal university, it can withstand the “Moranti” typhoon and withstand the heavy rain and waterlogging, which is the “Survival Guide of Xiamen University”. Among the optional courses are tree climbing, diving, sailing, field survival, golf… After graduation, you may forget some knowledge point you have learned in class, but it must I will remember the trees we climbed together, played golf together, and the sea we saw when we set sail together.

Dragon boat racing activities were held on Furong Lake during the Dragon Boat Festival. Photography/Guo Chen

Xiamen University’s special sailing paddleboard class was held in Valentine’s Valley. Photography/Guo Chen
Today, with the “Jiageng” marine science comprehensive research ship built by Xiamen University and has full intellectual property rights, Xiamen University has become the first comprehensive university in mainland China to have a global scientific research ship. In the desert no man’s land in the northwest of China, Xiamen University’s “Jiageng I” rocket was successfully launched. The scientific research ship of the Jiageng rides through the wind and waves, and the rocket of Jiageng-1 goes straight to the sky. It is not a lie that “it can go up to the nine heavens to catch the moon, and can catch turtles in the five oceans.”

👈Swipe to the lefAt 7:28 a.m. on April 23, 2019, the “Jiageng-1” rocket developed by the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Xiamen University was successfully launched. The picture shows the rocket loading site. Photography/Ye Heng
Xiamen University even released the “overseas version” — Xiamen University Malaysia Branch, which is the first overseas branch of a famous Chinese university with an independent campus, and the first branch of the Chinese university in Malaysia. Zhu Chongshi, the former president of Xiamen University, once said that Xiamen University returned to Mr. Chen Jiageng’s career and established a branch school in Malaysia, “This is the feedback of history.” In the graduation season in June every year, there are always graduates wearing bachelor’s uniforms and taking graduation photos under the two phoenix trees blooming like clouds in front of the fork of the road and on the fourth floor of Furong. This scene often reminds people of the song “Phoenix Blossoming Crossing” sung by Lin Zhixuan. Xiamen University, a phoenix-flowering intersection, also quietly looked at the hurried figures of students coming and going.

Launch love to you, biu biu biu~. Photography/Guo Chen
It’s just that “year-to-year flowers are similar, and year-to-year-year flowers are different”. In the flowers of phoenix flowers, the youth of generations of Xiamen also quietly flew away. And the flowers bloom for two seasons, one season sends the old, and the other season welcomes the new. In June, Phoenix flowers were all red, and the graduates of Xiamen University bid farewell to their alma mater; in September, Phoenix flowers were like fire, and the first-level freshmen of Xiamen University came again.

The flowers have bloomed, waiting for people to come. Photography/Ye Heng