How could this private university be born in Shikumen, Shanghai, with so many outstanding talents?

On May 13, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Daxia University, one of the predecessors of East China Normal University, a new book publishing seminar "Daxia University in Pictures" was held at East China Normal University. This book comprehensively and systematically displays the educational history of Daxia University in the form of historical pictures by collecting and organizing relevant historical archives, books and materials of Daxia University.

On July 18, 1951, leaders of the East China Ministry of Education announced that Daxia University and Guanghua University would merge to form East China Normal University.

In recent years, the East China Normal University Archives has focused on the history of the predecessor school and has successively compiled and published "Chronicles of Daxia University", "Daxia University and Chishui", "Daxia University: 90 People in 1990", "Wang Boqun and Daxia University" " and dozens of other works on the history and characters of Daxia University. "Illustrations of Daxia University" published by Shanghai People's Fine Arts Publishing House is another result compiled under the guidance of the concept of "images as evidence of history" following "Illustrations of East China Normal University" in 2021.

Tang Tao, director of the Archives of East China Normal University and editor-in-chief of the book, said that image evidence history is a research method for understanding and reconstructing history. School history researchers in Chinese universities are also trying to use images to express history, but overall, this intuitive, vivid, and warm image evidence method is still a new topic and method for most universities in my country.

"Daxia University in Illustrations" is divided into four chapters based on the historical development stages of Daxia University: The first chapter, "Faculty-student Cooperation, Daxia Founded", shows how after the Xiamen University uprising in 1924, teachers and students who left school worked as "teachers" in Shanghai. Guided by the "Three Hardships" spirit of teaching hard, staff working hard, and students studying hard, the arduous journey of teachers and students to jointly establish Daxia University; the second chapter "Rejuvenating the Nation, the Hero of the University" reflects the leadership of Daxia University under the leadership of President Wang Boqun The construction of the new campus on Zhongshan North Road and the struggle to implement national rejuvenation education in the context of the deepening national crisis; the third chapter, "Education to Save the Nation, Constant Songs," shows the teachers and students of Daxia University who moved inland to Lushan, Jiangxi Province during the Anti-Japanese War As well as Guiyang, Chishui and other places in Guizhou, they persisted in education to save the country despite being displaced; the fourth chapter, "Demobilize Shenjiang and Strengthen the Country through Education," tells the story of Daxia University returning to Shanghai to run schools after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, and eventually participating in the merger to form East China Normal University Historical choices for universities.

In April 1924, a student unrest broke out at Xiamen University. On June 1, the school announced that the summer vacation would be released in advance, and students were given 5 days to leave school. On June 8, 329 students signed their signatures to announce their separation from the school, and elected a delegation of 14 people including Luo Shiqing, Sun Kangzeng, Ni Wenya, Shi Naizhu, and He Zongyan to establish the headquarters of the School Leaving Student League in Shanghai, and established branches in various places. If there is no hope of reforming Xiamen University, we will find another university. On June 23, the school leavers group requested professors such as Ou Ouhuai and Wang Yuxiang who had left Xiamen University to organize a new school in Shanghai. After being introduced by He Zongyan, Wang Boqun, a veteran of the Tongmenghui, met with Professor Ou Ouhuai and other professors and decided to fund 2,000 silver dollars to build a new school. On July 7, Ou Ouhuai and student representatives jointly issued the "Announcement on the Establishment of the Temporary Preparatory Office of Daxia University", renting No. 24 Meirenli, Beiquji Road as the preparatory office, and renting No. 115 Yichang Road as the temporary school building.

On September 20, 1924, the first opening ceremony of Daxia University was held in Panjia Garden on Binlang Road.

Daxia University is the first university in my country to implement the tutoring system. As a private university, Daxia University was the first in the country to implement the tutoring system in colleges and universities in 1929. Its original intention was to improve the current situation of indifferent teacher-student relations at that time, to provide guidance to students in aspects such as study, life, and employment, and to improve the level of school running.

The tutoring system is an effective model for Daxia University to explore the Chineseization of the education system based on the tutoring system of European and American universities such as Oxford and Cambridge and the traditional Chinese academy system. In the 27 years since its establishment, Daxia University has educated more than 20,000 students, including academicians Liu Sizhi, Guo Dali, Zhou Yang, Hu Hesheng, Chen Ziyuan, Li Ruilin, Liu Beili, famous scholars Wang Yuanhua, Ma Chengyuan, Chen Xulu, children's writers Chen Bochui, Huang Yiqing, Ren Rongrong, translators Ge Baoquan and Luo Yujun, political activists Wu Liangping, Feng Baiju, Du Xingyuan, Ye Gongqi, Hua Liankui, Xu Weicheng, famous educators Sun Kangzeng, Lin Disheng, Wu Jue, Jiang Jingbo, dramatist Chen Liting, Ouyang Shanzun, etc.

From November 1937 to June 1946, Daxia University operated in Guizhou for nearly 9 years. It was the earliest university to move to Guizhou during the Anti-Japanese War and the longest period of operation.

During its operation in Guizhou, Daxia University insisted on recruiting Guizhou students with financial difficulties free of charge or half-fee. Many Daxia University graduates teach in primary and secondary schools in Guizhou and become pioneers in education in Guizhou. From 1940 to 1949, Vice President Ou Ouhuai and Dean of Students Fu Qixue of Daxia University successively served as directors of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Education, vigorously improving education standards. In 1941, Daxia University allocated the School of Education and the Teacher Training Course to establish the National Guiyang Normal University. In 1944, the Huaxi Campus of Daxia University was merged into Guizhou University. In 1950, Daxia Affiliated Middle School was merged into Guiyang No. 1 Middle School.

Daxia University has a glorious revolutionary tradition. In October 1924, Daxia University established a student party branch composed of members of the Communist Party and members of the Socialist Youth League. After the "April 12" counter-revolutionary coup in 1927, the Daxia Party and League organizations turned to underground activities. In April 1936, the Party branch was reestablished at Daxia University. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Daxia Party branch moved to Jiangxi with the school and joined the Jiangxi Provincial Youth Anti-Japanese War Service Corps. In the summer of 1938, underground party members in Daxia Shanghai established a new party organization. In 1951, more than 20 people from the Daxia University branch of the Communist Party of China were all transferred to the East China Normal University branch of the Communist Party of China. Members of the Daxia party organization guided students to actively participate in the revolutionary movement while they were in school, and after leaving school, they took the revolutionary fire to various parts of the motherland.

On January 1, 1950, underground members of the Communist Party of China at Daxia University took a group photo at Jing'an Temple.