Situated on Changzhou Island (cháng zhōu dǎo 长洲岛) offshore from the Whampoa District (huáng pǔ qū 黄浦区) in Guangzhou (guǎng zhōu 广州), the historical site of Whampoa Military Academy (huáng pǔ jūn xiào 黄埔军校) has attracted many tourists from home and abroad in recent years. It was founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen (sūn zhōng shān 孙中山), with the support of the Communist Party of China and former Soviet Union on the 16th June, 1924, during the first cooperation between the Kuomintang (guó mín dǎng 国民党) and the Communist Party of China (zhōng guó gòng chǎn dǎng 中国共产党).

Originally, it was named as the Army Officers School (jūn guān xué xiào 军官学校). During the Northern Expedition (běi fá 北伐), Chiang Kai-shek (jiǎng jiè shí 蒋介石) broke with the Communist Party of China, and the academy was moved to the newly established capital in Nanjing after the defeat of the warlords in 1928. The academy moved again to Chengdu during the anti-Japanese War. In January 1988, the site of the Whampoa Militray Academy was included on the list of the key historical monuments under state protection.

The original Whampoa Military Academy exited from 1924 to 1926, over 6 terms it enrolled more than 7000. It is primarily aiming to train military elites like the United States Military Academy. and it is one of the Four Great Military Academies in the world. However, it not only trained many military elites for CPC and KMT, most of whom has been the military commanders, but also its graduated have much more influence on both parties’ policies and governance. For example, Communist commanders Lin Biao (lín biāo 林彪), Xu Xiangqian (xú xiàng qián 徐向前), Zuo Quan (zuǒ quán 左权), Chen Geng (chén gēng 陈赓), and Nationalist commanders , Du Yuming (dù yù míng 杜聿明), and Hu Zongnan (hú zōng nán 胡宗南). These young students first showed their training and courage in the war against local warlord and dissident of Sun, Chen Jiongming (chén jiǒng míng 陈炯明), and later the unification of Guangdong province. Then they made greater contributions in the Northern Expedition. The Whampoa Military Academy has exhibited a broad influence on Chinese history.

In 1950, after the Communist victory on mainland China and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the academy was re-established in Fengshan (fèng shān 凤山), Kaohsiung County (gāo xióng 高雄), Taiwan Province as the Chinese Military Academy (zhōng guó jūn guān xué xiào 中国军官学校) and changed name in 2004 to the Military University (jūn guān dà xué 军官大学). The site of the original academy in Guangzhou is now a museum.

The gate of Whampoa Military Academy is plain. There hung a tablet on the above center, on which there writes “陆军军官学校"(Army Officers School). On the right side of the second wall, there hangs the school motto written by Chiang Kai-shek, which reads “亲爱精诚" (qīn’ài jīng chéng).
 

In the Whampoa Military Academy there is the Former Residence of Sun Yet-sen (sūn zhōng shān gù jū 孙中山故居), Students’ Club (xué shēng jù lè bù 学生俱乐部), and Martyrs Cemetery (liè shì líng yuán 烈士陵园). On the top of the Bagua Hill (bā guà shān 八卦山), there stands the Monument of Sun Yet-sen (sūn zhōng shān jì niàn bēi 孙中山纪念碑), on the top of which there is a bronze statue of him.

Historical Site of Whampoa Military Academy
Address: Changzhou Island, Whampoa District, Guangzhou
Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (except Monday)
Admission: RMB 15