# Nanchong Senior High School

Nanchong Senior High School (四川省南充高级中学) is a public high school in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. The school comprises five campuses—Shunqing, Jialing, Gaoping, Linjiang, and Wenfeng—covering approximately 184 acres. The school has 1,336 staff members, including 406 with senior titles, and 34% of the teachers hold graduate-level qualifications.
It is considered among the best schools in Sichuan and has been classified as a "National Model High School" and "First-Class Model High School", and "First-Class Demonstration Senior High School (Leading Type)" by the Sichuan Provincial Government.

## History

Nanchong Senior High School was founded in 1927 by Yuzhang Wu, a revolutionary and linguist of the proletariat class in the People's Republic of China.
In 1950, it merged with Jianhua Middle School, a private school established by Lan Zhang, a democratic revolutionary, educator, and one of the national leaders of the People's Republic of China.
In 1952, the Sichuan Provincial Government officially named it Sichuan Nanchong Senior High School.

### Development

Source:

#### 1927.8 – 1929.4

    Established as Jialing High School, located at Bao’en Temple near the Northern Dike of Lianhua Pond.

#### 1929.5 – 1935.7

    Operated as Sichuan Provincial Jialing High School (referred to as Jialing High School), based at Bao’en Temple near the Northern Dike of Lianhua Pond.

#### 1935.8 – 1949.12

    Operated as Sichuan Provincial Nanchong High School, located at the same place before February 1950, when it merged with the private Jianhua Middle School of Nanchong County, forming Nanchong High School of Northern Sichuan.

#### 1950.2 – 1952.8

    Known as Nanchong High School of Northern Sichuan, on Sansheng Street in Nanchong City.

#### 1952.9 – 1971.1

    Renamed to Nanchong High School, the school relocated to Ximenba, now known as Fujiang Road, in Nanchong's Xinjian Township.

#### 1971.2 – 1980.12

    Known as Nanchong No. 4 Middle High School, on Fujiang Road.

#### 1981.1 – 2000.5

    Operated primarily on Fujiang Road in Shunqing District, preparing for its second campus in Huohua Town in Jialing District.

#### 2000

    Longmen Middle School, another top middle high school in Nanchong, merged into Nanchong High School.

#### 2000.5 – 2006.3

    Nanchong High School operated across three campuses: Fujiang Road in Shunqing District, Longmen Town in Gaoping District, and Huohua Town in Jialing District.

#### 2006

    Longmen Middle School was separated from Nanchong High School and regained its independent status.

#### 2006.4 – 2020.8

    Functioned mainly on campuses at Fujiang Road in Shunqing District and Xuefu Road in Jialing District.

#### 2020.9 – 2021.8

    Operated from three campuses: Fujiang Road in Shunqing District, Xuefu Road in Jialing District, and Chengyong Road in Shunqing District (Linjiang Campus).

#### 2021.9 – 2024.8

    Expanded its campuses to include Jinhe West Road in Gaoping District (Gaoping Campus), alongside the existing locations on Fujiang Road in Shunqing District, Xuefu Road in Jialing District, and Chengyong Road in Shunqing District.

#### 2024.9 – present

    Nanchong High School operates across five campuses: Fujiang Road in Shunqing District (Shunqing Campus), Xuefu Road in Jialing District (Jialing Campus), Chengyong Road in Shunqing District (Linjiang Campus), Jinhe West Road in Gaoping District (Gaoping Campus), and Yinkongshan Avenue in Jialing District (Wenfeng Campus).

## Rankings and awards

Based on the annual college entrance examination admission rate, teaching quality, and student quality evaluation published by the Nanchong Municipal Government Education Department, Nanchong Senior High School has led in teaching quality in Nanchong City for 32 years, since 1993.
According to the biennial 'Top 100 High Schools in China' rankings, Nanchong Senior High School was included among the top 100 in 2009, 2017, and 2022. However, this ranking has faced some controversy due to differences in its evaluation criteria compared to the traditional emphasis on college entrance exam results.
Since the campus expansion and increased enrollment after 2019, Nanchong Senior High School has provided more local students with access to higher-quality educational resources, strengthening the region's educational capacity and enhancing its influence within the province. However, there are concerns that this growth may have diluted the school's core quality resources and slightly lowered the admissions threshold, leading to doubts about the potential impact on student training quality. While the school remains a leading institution in the Nanchong area, a decline in provincial high-achiever exam results (e.g., fewer high scorers on the national college entrance examination since 2022) appears to lend some weight to these concerns. Additionally, the school's large intake of top students has raised worries in the local community about limiting opportunities for other schools, potentially fostering a monopoly that could lead to complacency.
Nonetheless, it is worth acknowledging the school's efforts to maintain a focus on well-rounded education, including character and mental health development, in response to these challenges. The school has also actively recruited talented teachers from across the country to strengthen its educational resources, signaling its commitment to maintaining high standards despite recent shifts.

## Campus culture

Nanchong Senior High School places significant emphasis on students' mental health and well-rounded personal development. Since its founding in 1927, the school has not focused solely on academic scores; instead, it has upheld the motto "Sincerity and Courage," aiming to cultivate well-rounded individuals with strong character.

### Motto
#### "Inspire Honor and Courage, Pursue Excellence."（"弘扬诚勇，追求卓越"）

In 1927, the 16th year of the Republic of China, Yuzhang Wu founded Jialing Senior High School, setting October 29 as the school's anniversary and establishing "Sincerity and Courage" as the school motto. The motto draws from The Book of Rites: Doctrine of the Mean, which states, "Sincerity is the way of heaven; pursuing sincerity is the way of man." Yuzhang Wu believed that "sincerity" is the fundamental attribute of heaven, and that striving for sincerity to achieve a state of integrity is the way of humanity. "Courage" embodies resilience and fearlessness, reflecting the saying in The Analects of Confucius: Xianwen, "The benevolent must possess courage."

### School Anthem
#### Nanchong Senior High School Anthem (1927)

Source:
"The rippling waters of the Lotus Pond, 漾漾莲池水,
The vast flow of the Jialing River; 浩浩嘉陵江,
Our school stands proudly by the riverbank and beside the pond. 我校卓立江之湄池之旁.
With sincerity and courage as our guiding principles, 矢以诚勇,
We cultivate complete character, 养成我完全人格,
As pure as the lotus seed and as boundless as the river’s waters. 与莲子比其清洁，与江水并其汪洋"

#### Nanchong Senior High School Anthem (now)

Source:
"The Lotus Pond ripples, and Jialing River flows; 莲池泠泠嘉陵汤汤，
Clear springs encircle, with phoenixes soaring in grace. 清泉右绕舞凤左翔,
Majestic stands our school in this land of waters and clouds, 巍巍吾校在水云乡，
Where scholars and students gather as one. 硕士学子会聚一堂,
Teaching and learning tirelessly, we lift each other up; 教学不倦相扶将，
With love, devotion, and truth, our path shines bright. 亲爱精诚道日彰；
The Lotus Pond, a land of loyalty and honor, 莲池乃忠义之邦，
Rises courageously, striving for strength. 敢奋兴起图自强
Striving, striving, ceaselessly striving, boundless our future, 自强，自强，自强不息，前途无疆
Boundless, boundless, with no end in sight; 无疆，无疆;
For honor, for courage, for the glory of our nation.为诚为勇为民族争荣光。"

### Student's Organisations

The school offers a variety of student clubs, including Broadcasting, Etiquette, Debate, Art, Folk Art Appreciation, Photography, Literature, Dance, Drama, Choir, Folk Performance, and Calligraphy clubs, among others. Over ten student associations are guided by a unique teaching approach that pairs expert artists with school mentors.
Club activities take place after class, or during physical training classes and weekends, going beyond conventional lectures to include hands-on experiences like outdoor sketching, crafting, broadcasting, volunteer etiquette services for new students, and performances at cultural showcases. This approach allows students to transform their interests into practical skills, deepening their appreciation for the arts.

## Notable Alumni

* Duojia Pan (潘多加), biologist, a student of Nanchong Senior High School in 1984, member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (2023).
* Rongjun Shen (沈荣骏), lieutenant General, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
* Yongchuan Chen (陈永川), mathematician, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
* Ji Xin (邢继), deputy general manager, chief engineer, and chief designer of Hualong One, China Nuclear Power Engineering Co., Ltd.
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