Huize Hall of Yunnan University

Huize Hall is located in the Donglu Campus of Yunnan University. It was founded in 1923 and completed in 1924. It was the main teaching building of the former Donglu University. Designed by Zhang Banghan, it was built on the original site of the Mingyuan Building of the Yunnan Gongyuan. Historical Background: In 1922, at the beginning of the preparation of the private Donglu University, Tang Jiyao took the lead in donating 10,000 yuan as preparation funds to establish the first higher education institution in Yunnan Province. He later donated another 500,000 yuan and issued documents and set an example to encourage various organizations and the public to support the preparation of Donglu University. To commemorate Tang Jiyao's advocacy for education and the establishment of Donglu University, the school decided to name the new main building after Tang Jiyao's courtesy name "Huize Tang Gong" as "Huize". The main building was decided to be built on the old site of the Mingyuan Building of the Gongyuan. The preparatory staff put a lot of effort into choosing between "building", "hall", or "institute" after Tang Jiyao's courtesy name. Considering that the main building was built on the old site of the Mingyuan Building, to distinguish the new building from the old one, they did not use "building". The main building was also adjacent to the Hengjian Hall and the Zhigong Hall of the Gongyuan, so they did not use "hall" either. Finally, they decided to use the general term "institute" and inscribed the three characters "Huize Institute" on the lintels of the front and back doors of the main building. Thus, Huize Hall got its name. Architect Zhang Banghan studied in France and Belgium for many years and was familiar with Western architectural styles. Therefore, he highly praised the imitation of Western architecture for Huize Hall. Zhang Banghan proposed that "the architecture should adopt both Chinese and Western styles, preserving the old without being stuck in the past, and embracing the new without being overly focused on novelty." The preparatory office finally adopted Zhang Banghan's design concept, which imitated the characteristics of the main building of the University of Paris built in 1253. The architecture of Huize Hall utilizes the terrain to present a symmetrical layout, facing south towards Cuihu Lake, with a broad view. The entrance is reached by 95 stone steps and three platforms, leading to a towering porch that is magnificent and imposing. Huize Hall is a mixed structure of brick, wood, brick and stone, and reinforced concrete, with one underground floor, two above-ground floors, and a partial third floor. The facade adopts a Western architectural style, with the ground floor as the base layer, made of block stone; separated from the upper part by a bluestone waistline, with red brick walls and rectangular windows; the second floor uses arched windows; the corners of the exterior walls and around the doors and windows are inlaid with finely chiseled bluestone of varying widths; the front has four 10-meter-high classical columns. Inside, there is a corridor with a central hall and staircase. After 1997, "Huize Baijia, Zhigong Tianxia" became the spirit of Yunnan University, giving "Huize" a new interpretation. Huize Hall is a typical work of modern architecture in Yunnan and was announced as a national key cultural relic protection unit in 2019.