Chant Garden Elementary School

Chant Garden Elementary School is a prestigious private elementary school in Wenzhou, China.^[1] Since its establishment, it has been one of the most prestigious elementary schools in China and also serves as a "Model School" in many areas of education for elementary schools all across China.

In February 2005, it was named as the "Garden Institution by Wenzhou Government and the "International Education Experimental School" by UNESCO.

Throughout its history, it has earned both significant domestic and international recognitions from World Health Organization, UNESCO, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, National Institute of Education Sciences, China Qiyuan, State General Administration of Sports and Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.

Chant Garden Elementary School is the headquarters of Wenzhou Mathematician Cradle Project, the model school of National Primary Foreign Language Research and Education, the cultural school of chess in China, the model practice base of National Teenager Etiquette Education, and the model practice base of National Primary Chess Teaching and Research Education.

Location

Chant Garden Elementary School is located on the water surface of Nine-Mountain lake in downtown Wenzhou with three sides facing directly at the lake. Therefore, it is usually called by locals as the "Garden School on Water".

There is a popular saying in Wenzhou of location of the school which is "school in the midst lake, lake in the midst of garden"(園中湖,湖中校).^[2]

History

In 2002, the Wenzhou Education Bureau founded Chant Garden Elementary School (then Wenzhou Experimental Primary School) in downtown Wenzhou, on the water surface of Nine-Mountain Lake. In 2007, it became a state-owned private school. In 2012, it became a privately-owned private school.^[3]

Chant Garden

The Chant Garden on campus was built in 1912 in honor of Sun Yirang, the first person in the history of the world to decipher Oracle Bone Script. Sun Yirang's work Qiwen Juli (契文舉例), published posthumously by Luo Zhenyu, was the first work of decipherment of the oracle bone script historically.

Chess Culture

Chant Garden Elementary has a rich history of education and excellence in chess, particularly in international chess.

Four Departments on Campus

The school has four departments on campus focused on literature, athletics, arts and science.^[4]

Department of Literature

The department of literature, originally known as the "chant garden literature club", is composed of four student clubs. The four students clubs are Chant Garden Story Room, Chant Garden Readers Room, Chant Garden Lecture Hall and Chant Garden Literature Club. The department of literature was founded in order to strengthen students's interest and passion in literature, improve the culture of reading on campus, and also prepare students with great knowledge in literature.^[5]

Department of Athletics

The department of athletics serves primarily for health and physical education all students of the school. For students of grade 1 and 2, the department requires every student on campus to take chess class and learn to play chess. For students of grade 3 and 4, the department requires every student on campus to take swimming class and learn to swim. For students of grade 5, the department requires every student on campus to take soccer class and learn to play soccer. For students of grade 6, the department requires every student on campus to take basketball class and learn to play basketball.^[6]

The school's basketball team is ranked No.1 in the province of Zhejiang.^[7]

Department of Arts

The goal of the department of arts is to educate students with beauty and inspire wisdom with beauty of arts.^[8]

Department of Science

The department of science was founded in September 2003. Currently, the department has 15 classrooms for studios such as Botanic Tissue Clone Laboratory and Little Eye Studio. Over 600 students have won awards at the national, province, and city levels.^[9]

Pictures of Campus

Notable Alumni

• Ding Liren 丁立人(1992-), chess Grandmaster, youngest-ever winner of Chinese Chess Championship at age 16, ranked 1st nationally and 7th internationally as of September 2015, renowned as the new "King of Chess" in China

References