Beijing 101 Middle School - History

History

Beijing 101 Middle School was founded in 1946, just after the victory over Japan in the Second World War. The school was founded on the war-torn Zhangjiakou, a town in the nearby Hebei Province. Soon after 101's foundation, the Chinese Civil War begun and both students and teachers were forced to move. After two years of moving, the school entered Beijing City and built its first permanent campus in Xiyuan, Haidian District. This moving is known as "the Long March of 101".

In the first 20 years of its history, the school was only open to children of the country's top-ranking officers. Zhou Enlai, the former premier of P.R. China, once visited the school and encouraged students to achieve their dreams at 101. After Mao Zedong commented on 101's discriminate admission policies in 1964, the school was opened to all students disregard of their family backgrounds. Jiang Zemin, the former General secretary of Communist Party and President of China, and Li Peng, the former Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC), both congratulated the school and wrote couplets when the school celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1996. In 2003, premier Wen Jiabao visited the school and encouraged the students to carry on the school's rich traditions. During the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games, 101 was chosen to hold the Youth Camp of the XXIX Olympia.

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