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From ancient academy to teacher-training university

CGTN

A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG
A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG

A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG

Located in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, Hunan First Normal University is one of the birthplaces of modern teacher education in China.

A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /IC
A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /IC

A view of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /IC

The history of the university can be traced to 1161, when a renowned scholar named Zhang Shi in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) founded Chengnan Academy, the precursor of the university. The academy was renamed Hunan Faculty of Education in 1903 and started to provide modern teacher education. It was one of only five normal academies in China at that time.

The assembly hall of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG
The assembly hall of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG

The assembly hall of the Chengnan Campus of Hunan First Normal University in Changsha, Hunan Province. /CMG

Late Chinese leader Mao Zedong used to study and work at the school for eight years. His inscription "Being the people's pupil before becoming their teacher" is now the motto of the university.

The inscription
The inscription "Being the people's pupil before becoming their teacher" by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong is now the motto of Hunan First Normal University. /CMG

The inscription "Being the people's pupil before becoming their teacher" by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong is now the motto of Hunan First Normal University. /CMG

Graduates from the university have become teachers everywhere from cities to villages, conveying knowledge to generations of pupils.

Student volunteers from Hunan First Normal University play with children at a school in Baojing County, Hunan Province on July 18, 2021. /CFP
Student volunteers from Hunan First Normal University play with children at a school in Baojing County, Hunan Province on July 18, 2021. /CFP

Student volunteers from Hunan First Normal University play with children at a school in Baojing County, Hunan Province on July 18, 2021. /CFP

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