Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School (CKHS; ) is a public high school for boys in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The school was established in 1898 during Japanese rule as the first public high school in Taiwanese history.
The school requires the highest scores on the national senior high school entrance exams for admittance. Graduates of Chien Kuo include Nobel Prize laureate Samuel C. C. Ting, Turing Award winner Andrew Yao, filmmaker Edward Yang, two heads of state, at least five members of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and numerous scholars and public servants. Its female counterpart is the Taipei First Girls' High School.
History
What is now Chien Kuo High School was founded as the Fourth Affiliated School, Secondary School () of the Taiwan Governor's Office Japanese Language School (today the National Taipei University of Education), and was the first public secondary school in Taiwan. Except for a short period following the Chinese Civil War, the school has been an all-boys high school. The red brick building was built in 1909 during Japanese rule and is considered one of Taipei's historically significant buildings.
Following its foundation, the school went through a number of names before settling on First Taihoku Prefectural Secondary School () in 1922, Second Taihoku being what is now Chenggong High School. During Japanese rule, First Taihoku () was reserved primarily for Japanese students while Second Taihoku allowed entry for the Taiwanese. The two schools developed a competitive nature that persists to this day. Following World War II and the Chinese seizure of power, both schools were renamed in 1946 so that the two names would spell out the phrase "successfully building a nation" (), thus naming them Chien Kuo High School and Chenggong High School ().
Overview
Students attending the school are widely recognized for their distinctive khaki uniforms and green bookbags. Only the top scorers on the Comprehensive Assessment Program receive admission. The school has graduated over 100,000 students in its history. For many international science and math competitions (e.g. the International Science Olympiad), students from Chien Kuo are chosen to represent Taiwan. As of 2007, students from Chien Kuo High School have won 46 gold, 63 silver and 21 bronze medals in International Mathematical Olympiad, International Physics Olympiad, International Chemistry Olympiad, International Olympiad in Informatics, and International Biology Olympiad. Since 2000, students from Chien Kuo have received 11 medals in the IMO/IPhO/IChO/IBO/IOI/IESO per year on average.
Notable alumni
- Alec Su (): singer (Xiao Hu Dui, Solo), actor
- Andrew Yao (): computer scientist, Turing Award laureate (2000), Academician of Academia Sinica
- Benjamin Hsiao (): Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, Stony Brook University; Fellow of the American Physical Society and American Chemical Society
- Calvin Chen (): singer
- Chen Shih-chung (): dentist, Minister of Ministry of Health and Welfare of Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Chang-Lin Tien (): chemical engineer, former chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, Academician of Academia Sinica, member of the US National Academy of Engineering and American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Chang San-cheng (): engineer, former Premier of the Republic of China, former Director of National Center for High-Performance Computing
- Chen Chien-jen (): epidemiologist, Academician of Academia Sinica, member of the US National Academy of Sciences, former Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Chiang Peng-chien (): democracy activist, the first chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party
- Cyrus Chu (): economist, Academician of Academia Sinica, member of the US National Academy of Sciences, former public servant and diplomat
- Ding-Shinn Chen (): hepatologist, Academician of Academia Sinica, member of the US National Academy of Sciences
- Edward Yang (): film director, Cannes Festival Best Director Award winner (2000)
- Eric Chu (): politician, former President of Executive Yuan, former associate professor of accounting at National Taiwan University
- Fredrick Chien (): diplomat, former President of Control Yuan, former minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan)
- Fu Kun-cheng (): professor of law, former lawmaker
- James C. Liao (): President of Academia Sinica; Parsons Foundation Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UCLA
- Jeffrey Koo Sr. (): former chairperson of Chinatrust Commercial Bank
- Kuan Chung-ming (): economist, Academician of Academia Sinica, President of National Taiwan University
- Kwang-chih Chang (): anthropologist, Academician of Academia Sinica, member of US National Academy of Sciences, former Vice President of Academia Sinica
- Lai Ching-te (): politician, medical doctor, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Lu Hsiu-yi (): democracy activist, former legislator
- Lü Shao-chia (): world-renowned opera and orchestra conductor
- Lu Yen-hsun (): professional tennis player (formerly #1 in Asia)
- Ma Ying-jeou (): former President of Republic of China (Taiwan), professor of law
- Pai Hsien-yung (): novelist, Professor Emeritus of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara
- Samuel C. C. Ting (): physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics laureate (1976), Academician of Academia Sinica
- Stan Lai (): playwright, theatre director
- Su Beng (): independence activist and author of Modern History of Taiwanese in 400 Years
- Wang Kuan-hung (): professional swimmer
- Wei min Hao (): atmospheric chemist, climatologist, contributor to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which won Nobel Peace Prize (2007)
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