Zhixin West Building (The First Dormitory)

Designed by Fan Wenzhao Architectural Firm, the new dormitory started construction in April 1929, and was completed the next January. The U-shaped building has three floors in the middle and two floors on both wings, with a total of 187 rooms. To commemorate the bourgeois democratic revolutionary Mr. Zhu Zhixin, it was named as “Zhixin West Building”. After Zhixin West Building was completed, the students enrolled in 1930 who were to graduate firstly moved to the new dormitory. Alumnus Qian Xuesen, China’s distinguished scientist and founder of aerospace science once lived here for two to three years. During the Battle of Shanghai in 1932, Soong Ching-ling, He Xiangning, et al borrowed this building to found National Hospital for the Wounded. It was later converted into a dormitory for teaching and administrative staff and was also used as an office building. Zhixin West Building was announced by Shanghai Municipal People's Government as Shanghai Municipality Cultural Relics Protection Unit on April 4, 2014.