Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School (, CKHS) is a public high school for boys located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The school was established in 1898 during the early years of Japanese rule. Originally named "No. 1 Taihoku High School" (), it was the first public high school in Taiwanese history. CKHS requires the highest scores on the national senior high school entrance exams. As of July 2021, CKHS's alumni include 1 Nobel Prize laureate (Physics), the only ethnic Chinese Turing Award laureate, 1 Cannes Film Festival Award winner (Best Director), 1 head of state, at least 5 members of the US National Academy of Sciences, and numerous scholars and public servants. Its female counterpart is the Taipei First Girls' High School.
History
Chien Kuo High School was the first public high 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 historical buildings. Originally called Taipei First Boys School, it was renamed in 1946 (along with Taipei Second Boys School) so that the two names would spell out the phrase "successfully establish a country" (), thus naming them Chien Kuo High School and Chenggong High School (). During Japanese rule, because Chien Kuo was reserved primarily for the Japanese while Taipei Second Boys School allowed entry for the Taiwanese. The two schools developed a competitive nature that persists to this day.
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.