Meanings of Names of the School Buildings

This is the map of Chung Cheng High School (Main).

Hongdao Building 弘道楼 – ‘Hongdao’ represents the propagation of wisdom and moral values.

Gewu Building 格物楼 – ‘Gewu’ means deriving wisdom and knowledge through relentless pursuit of truth and the study of nature. 

Haoran Building 浩然楼 – ‘Haoran’ depicts having an awe-inspiring sense of moral courage, righteousness and magnnimity through self-cultivation.

Zhuopu Building 琢璞楼 – ‘Zhuopu’ describes the polishing of uncut gems into the finest jade, akin to nurturing each child’s talents and potential.   

Innosphere/Rixin Building 日新楼 – ‘Rixin’ means continuous improvement in the pursuit of excellence

Zhulin Building 竹林楼 – ‘Zhu’ or bamboo denotes impeccable character of integrity and resilience. 

Indoor Sports Hall/Nayun Building 挐云楼 – ‘ Nayun’ depicts soaring high to achieve peaks of excellence

 ZHU LIN BUILDING

Zhu Lin Building is the main building of Chung Cheng and is named officially after someone called Zhuang Zhulin. Dr Zhuang Zhulin is the founding principal and also the principal of Nanyang University. After World War 2, he was re-appointed principal. This building, which was named after him, house the Grand Auditorium now. The Grand Auditorium was the largest in the Southeast Asia when it was opened.

GE WU BUILDING

To meet growing demands for better facilities, the school embarked on an upgrading programme in the early 90s. With the completion of the 1st phase of redevelopment in 1992, the Crafts-Cum-Technical Complex was added which is now called Gewu Building.

ZHUO PU BUILDING

Zhuo Pu Building has 16 classrooms blocks completed in 1999.

Grand Auditorium

This is a photo of the current Zhulin Building which
houses the Grand Auditorium.

In 1965, there was a groundbreaking ceremony officiated by Mr Goh Tjioe Kok, who was the then just-appointed Chairman of the School Management Committee. The Grand Auditorium was made of pure marble and was officially declared open by the then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew on 21st July 1968. When opened, our Grand Auditorium was the largest auditorium in the Southeast Asia region.

Have you ever wonder why our Grand Auditorium does not have air-conditioning in it?

This is because in olden times, the weather in Singapore is not as hot as it is now. The weather in Singapore used to be at 26°C to 27.5°C. With that weather, we did not need air conditioning nor fans. In 1999, the school went through a major face lift and was completed in 2000 and it was only then were fans introduced to the Grand Auditorium.

Also, the building is so old that people are worried the building might collapse if air-conditions were installed and there may be something special in the Grand Auditorium which cannot be removed or demolished. They were also not supposed to renovate the Grand Auditorium without permission as it was one of the icons in Singapore. Because of its rich history and culture, our Grand Auditorium is fairly well known in Singapore.

In 1998, the third phase of redevelopment for the school started. The redevelopment ended in 2000 and the Grand Auditorium was refurnished with new seats and parquet flooring, increasing the seating capacity to close to 2000.

Why are Chung Cheng Buildings built in such a manner?

They were inspired by Chiang Kai-Shek and decided to build a school that look like a temple. They also wanted to bring over the Chinese Tradition to Singapore as well. I also think that they want to let people acknowledge that they are a Chinese School, not a British school like Raffles Institution.

Chung Cheng Lake 中正湖

The lake before being reduced in area.

Chung Cheng High School (Main)’s elegant lake is a popular icon of the school and is now known as the Chung Cheng Lake 中正湖. The beautiful lake is identified with the school’s public image and emblematic of its ideals.

Originally, it had an impressive size of approximately 14,000m², however, its scale has since been reduced to two-third as the school grounds have been redeveloped over the years. Buildings were extended to the lake to have more space for students to study. Despite this, the lake remains a treasured landmark, enduring the last of its original architectural features. 

This is a picture of the current lake.

This picturesque lake, with its delightful boating opportunities and idyllic atmosphere has been more than just an unique and charming property feature. The lake’s history is deeply intertwined with the school’s – having witnessed its evolution over the years. Cultural, intellectual and social activities have been organised by the water edge. Plays, poetry and reading sessions, outdoor painting, picnics, carnivals, sporting and fundraising activities have been sited by or near the lake. 

The lake, set within lush grounds, with its serenity and restorative presence offered unparalleled inspiration for writers, poets, dramatists, artists, scholars and politicians, many of whom were reputed alumni of the school.

Most of our alumni, too, commented that the lake contained the most memories throughout their 4 years in the school. Some of them even had a chance to step into the lake! But, of course, that is not allowed. Some of our alumni even had a barbeque party by the lake!

Standing near the lake and just viewing at the environment will definitely give you a good feeling!

2006-Present

This is a picture of the Innosphere.

In 2006, Innosphere, the name coined for the new Centre of Excellence (COE), was opened with its facilities such as a library for Chinese language resources, teahouse and auditorium. It serves as a venue for seminars, workshops, exhibitions and performances. The Centre houses all the aesthetics CCAs under one roof, in conjunction with the plan to develop the school's niche areas in the aesthetics programmes. To promoting a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, the school is involved in a twinning programme with schools in China.

In 2007, the I-Café was also launched showcasing the strong partnership between the School and the Parent Support Group. New facilities added included the Indoor Sports Hall (Nayun Building), expanded classrooms with air cons, numerous link ways connecting all buildings in the school compound.   

 

1994-2003

The 3rd phase of school redevelopment.

The third phase of the school development ended in 1999. To complement the 32 classroom block which had been completed in 1995, a 320-seater lecture theatre was added together with other facilities such as computer laboratories, a Media Resource Library, Science Laboratories, a music room, complete with learning hardware and software, with other special rooms. Facilities such as tennis courts, a street soccer court and a lake amidst a lawn added character and style to the sprawling campus. The 3rd phase of school redevelopment ended with the completion of the 26-classroom block in 1999 (ZhuoPu Building).

The Grand Auditorium was also refurnished with new seats and parquet flooring, increasing the seating capacity to close to 2000. In July 2003, the heritage gallery was opened by Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State and Education. It has historical artefacts, photographs and IT presentations.

1990-1993

This shows the Gewu Building. (Far right hand side)

Work on the building of the Craft-Cum-Technical Complex (Gewu Building) began in 1990, and was completed by 1992. 

It now hosts the Home Economics Room, Art room, D&T room and Calligraphy room. It also links to the Staff room and the HOD room.