| Guangzhou No.2 High School Chinese: 廣州市第二中學 | |
| Motto: | Dingtian Lidi (Chinese: 顶天立地) |
| Type: | Public School; First Class Schools of Guangdong Province; National Demonstrative High School of Guangdong Province |
| Principal: | Zhang Xianlong (Chinese: 张先龙) |
| Principal Label1: | Party Committee Secretary |
| Principal1: | Huang Xuesong (Chinese: 黄学松) |
| Principal Label2: | Vice Principal |
| Principal2: | Zhang Mian, Wen Hui, Li Ying, Chen Jian (Chinese: 张绵、温辉、李颖、陈健) |
| Enrollment: | 3,931 |
| Enrollment As Of: | 2017 |
| Employees: | 372 |
| City: | Guangzhou |
| Province: | Guangdong |
| Country: | China |
| Address: | 21 Yingyuan Road, Yuexiu District (Yingyuan Road Campus) 11 Shuixi Road, Huangpu District (Science City Campus) |
| Grades: | 7-9 (Yingyuan Road Campus) 9-12 (Science City Campus) |
| Area: | Science City Campus: |
| Website: | http://www.gdgzez.com.cn |
| Order: | st |
| S: | 广州市第二中学 |
| T: | 廣州市第二中學 |
| P: | Guǎngzhōu Shì Dì'èr Zhōngxúe |
| J: | Gwong2zau1-si5 Dai6 Ji6 Zung1hok6 |
| Y: | Gwóngjāu-síh Daih Yih Jūnghohk |
| Also Known As: | Short name |
| S2: | 广州二中 |
| T2: | 廣州二中 |
| P2: | Guǎngzhōu Èrzhōng |
| J2: | Gwong2zau1 Ji6 Zung1 |
| Y2: | Gwóngjāu Yih Jūng |
Guangzhou No.2 High School is a Chinese public high school in Guangzhou, Guangdong. The school was established in August, 1930.[1]
In 1820, Ruan Yuan, Viceroy of Liangguang, established Xuehai Hall (; literally "Sea of studies") by borrowing Wenlan Academy in western Guangzhou (now Wenlan Lane, Xiajiu Road). In 1824, Ruan Yuan moved Xuehai Hall to a new school building at the foot of Yuexiu Hill. Under the efforts of Ruan Yuan, Xuehai Hall became the cultural and academic center of guangdong at that time.[2] Since its establishment, Xuehai Hall has cultivated many talents at that time. In 1903, the hall was abolished and replaced by Ruan Taifu Temple to commemorate Ruan Yuan. The temple was abolished in 1911.[3]
In 1867, Jiang Yili, the grand coordinator and provincial governor of guangdong, and Fang Junyi advocated the establishment of Jupo School , and hired Chen Feng as a senior. Jupo School cultivated many talents at that time, whose students had a certain influence on the local culture of Guangdong. In 1903, the school was closed and replaced by Chen's Temple.[4]
In 1869, Wang Kaitai, Governor of Guangdong, founded Yingyuan Academy before Yingyuan Palace, which was designated for Juren, and became the highest institution of Guangzhou.[5] After the fall of imperial examinations, the academy was no longer popular. In 1903, the academy was closed.
In 1906, the Qing government announced the formal abolition of the imperial examination system, and the academy originally set up for the imperial examination lost its value.[6] In 1908, Zhang Renjun, grand coordinator and provincial governor of guangdong, founded the Guangdong Ancient Academy, which aimed to preserve the quintessence of Chinese culture, on the former sites of Yingyuan Academy and Jupo School.[7]
After Xinhai Revolution, in 1921, Zhixin High School was built in the old site of Xuehai Hall but later moved to its current campus in 1923. In 1929, Guangzhou No.1 High School moved here.
"Guangzhou No.2 Middle School" was formally established in August 1930. The first principal was Xu Gantang, a well-known educator. It first rented the chapel and private houses in Xiguan as temporary buildings until 1932, moved to a new campus in Penglai Road (now Guangzhou No.1 High School,). In 1938, after the Canton Operation, the school was suspended.[8]
In September 1947, No.2 middle school reopened on the site of No.1 middle school in Yingyuan Road, with legislator Wang Hsiao-ying as the principal.[9] In November 1949, CPC military representative Lai Yihui took over the school. In 1956, it was rated as the key middle school of Guangzhou. In the early 1960s, the school was designated as the experimental school for education reform with a five-year system for middle schools.
In January 1967, after the outbreak of the cultural revolution, mass organizations seized power and the school work was completely paralyzed. In the winter of 1969, a rural branch school was established on the barren hillside of Baishui Village in Shiling, Hua County (currently Huadu District). In the winter of 1974, the branch moved to Chen Dong reservoir. In March 1978, the revolutionary committee of the school was abolished. In August of the same year, the branch school was cancelled.
In 1994, the school was awarded as the first class schools of Guangdong. In 2007, it passed the acceptance of National Demonstrative High School of Guangdong.[10]
In 2012, the school's English name was changed from Guangzhou No.2 Middle School to Guangzhou No.2 High School.[11]
The school has 2 campuses.
Yingyuan Road Campus was built in 1930 on the south slope of Yuexiu Hill, Yuexiu District and used to be the site of Xuehai Hall. The campus now is the main campus of the school and used to serve students from grade 7 to 9.
Science City Campus was built in 2005 on Suyuan Hill in Guangzhou Science City, Huangpu District. It is renowned in Guangzhou for its environment and high-quality education.[12] This is an accommodation campus and serves high school students from grade 10 to 12. [1]
Guangzhou No.2 High School is ranked top five among high schools in Guangzhou, Guangdong, both officially and unofficially.[13]
The school's motto is "Dingtian Lidi" ("Chinese: 顶天立地", lit. standing with his head in the clouds and feet on the earth), which was first introduced in 1940s by principal Wang Hsiao-ying, and relaunched in 2019.
The concept of "Yi-Zhong-Ren" debuted in 2010, on the 80th anniversary of the school, while "Yi-Zhong-Ren" has a similar pronunciation with "Peoples of No.2 School" in Cantonese. A series of T-shirts and hoodies of "Yi-Zhong-Ren" were designed by alumni, which has achieved its prevalence both inside and outside of the school campuses.[14] In March 2018, "Yi-Zhong-Ren" obtained a trademark registration license.
The Music Creator Concert activity held by the students' union and the Art Department in every November is unique, while competitors are required to perform an original song or a song whose lyric or melody was rewritten by the competitors. Until the end of 2018, the concert has been held for 28 sessions. In 2015, the concert was awarded the first prize of "Brand activities of Schools in Guangzhou" .[15]
The charity sale held in Lantern Festival every year since 1997.[16] It was organized by student union, and parts of the profit from sales and auction would be used for charity. There are also entertainment and firework shows during the sale.[17]
The Guangzhou No. 2 High School Education Group was founded in Dec 2017.[18] Besides the school itself, the education group has founded 2 private schools and hosted 4 public schools. In 2019, the whole group has 7,066 students and 166 classes.[19]
The two private schools have been assessed for good performances,[20] but in recent years, it has been disputed and even punished for illegal enrollment.[21]
The education group are hosting these public schools:[24]
In early 2010s, the school issued a policy called "no IC" that no electronic products in teaching areas ("I" for electronic devices like iPhone, iPad etc.; "C" for computer).[29] But in the late 2017, the executives of grade 10 issued a joint policy that the use of cellphones would no longer be allowed in the school including resting areas. The ban was fiercely opposed by grade 10 students, as the allowance of cellphones was a long-held policy of the school that demonstrated the freedom and humanity valued by prior principals and executive teams. In fact, many classes required in-class use of cellphones to finish assignments, and many students used their smartphones to study efficiently in their spare time. The policy was also criticized for unequal and biased treatment of students of grade 10 because students from grade 11 and 12 were not subject to the ban and could continue to use their phones. Under pressure from students and parents, executives held an unofficial conference at the end of the semester to revoke the ban.