A Veritable“City of Students”

Baoding was once the provincial capital of Zhili.At that time,new schools in Baoding mushroomed.Primary schools,girls’ schools,middle schools,vocational schools,colleges and universities,including normal military colleges and universities,were set up one after another.Students from different provinces of China also came to Baoding to study,and the laudatory name of Baoding as the“City of Students”then became popular.

Mengyang School,one of the earliest new-style schools in China,was founded in Baoding in 1896.After years of development,it was renamed as Primary School Affiliated to Zhili Second Normal University in 1912,and then as Primary School Affiliated to Hebei Second Provincial Normal University and Primary School Affiliated to Baoding Normal University,with the name still be used till today.In the development history of China’s new-style schools,this school,as one of the three earliest new-style schools in China,has been playing an important role.In the vicissitudes of more than 100 years,a large number of talented young people graduated from here,and many of them later became famous scientists,artists and pillars of society.

In Baoding,there are also Zhili Agricultural Academy,the earliest higher education institution of agriculture in China,which was renamed Hebei Agricultural University in 1958; Yude Middle School,the source of the work-study program to France,pioneering work in Baoding’s educational history,which made many young students embark on the road of seeking truth,scientific knowledge and ways to save the country and the people; Baoding Normal University,an institution of higher education with glorious revolutionary tradition,where an organization of the CPC was established in 1924; Baoding Military Academy,the first regular military academy in modern Chinese history,which is the training base for military talents in modern China.

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the CPC in 1978,Baoding’s education developed rapidly and reached its peak in history.At present,there are 16 institutions of higher learning in Baoding,including Hebei University,Hebei Agricultural University,North China Electric Power University (Baoding Campus),Hebei Finance University,National Police University for Criminal Justice,and Baoding University.The development of education in Baoding in the new era continues the glory of Baoding as a strong city of education and the history of being a“City of Students.”Strong teaching and scientific research forces provide talent and intellectual support for Baoding’s economic and social development towards high level and high quality.