Chiayi's oldest school, 128 years and counting.
Chongwen Elementary traces its roots to 1896, when it began as the "Chiayi Japanese Language Training Institute" under Japanese colonial rule, becoming a formal public school in 1898 — years before the Republic of China was even founded in 1912. After Taiwan's 1945 retrocession to the ROC, it was renamed Chongwen National Elementary School. Today, at 128-plus years old, it stands as Chiayi City's longest-running elementary school, its campus still holding preserved heritage structures from its Japanese-era past, including a 1928 memorial clock tower and Taiwan's only remaining school broadcast tower.
崇文國小創校歷史可追溯至1896年，前身為日治時期的「嘉義國語傳習所」，1898年正式改制為公學校——早於1912年中華民國成立之前。1945年臺灣光復後，更名為崇文國民學校。如今建校已逾128年，是嘉義市歷史最悠久的國小，校園至今仍保存日治時期的古蹟建築，包括1928年落成的紀念鐘樓，以及全臺僅存的學校放送台（廣播台）。
What makes this school worth knowing.
🕰️ A 1928 Memorial Clock Tower
1928年紀念鐘樓
The campus preserves a memorial clock tower built in 1928, one of the most visible reminders of the school's century-long Japanese-era heritage.
📻 Taiwan's Only Surviving School Broadcast Tower
全臺僅存學校放送台
Chongwen's campus holds Taiwan's only remaining school broadcast tower (放送台), a rare surviving piece of school infrastructure from the Japanese colonial era.
🎨 Alma Mater of Painter Chen Cheng-po
畫家陳澄波校友
Renowned Taiwanese painter Chen Cheng-po graduated from the school in 1913 — one of several notable alumni who trace their early education back to this campus.
💃 Alma Mater of Choreographer Lin Hwai-min
雲門舞集創辦人林懷民校友
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre founder Lin Hwai-min, one of Taiwan's most celebrated choreographers, graduated from Chongwen in 1960, alongside 1935 graduate and industrialist Wang Yong-zai.
A living thread through Chiayi's cultural history.
As Chiayi City's longest-running elementary school at over 128 years old, Chongwen is deeply woven into local identity, having educated generations of the city's most notable cultural and business figures — from painter Chen Cheng-po to Cloud Gate Dance Theatre's Lin Hwai-min. Its preserved Japanese-era clock tower and broadcast tower make the campus itself a small piece of living heritage. See the Chiayi City page for more on the region.
Find the school.
No. 241 Chuiyang Road, East District, Chiayi City 60043, Taiwan
嘉義市東區垂陽路241號
School's Official Website (Chinese) ↗
Last updated: July 2026 · Content adapted and condensed from the school's official Chinese-language website by the Taiwan Bilingual Hub team, not yet reviewed by the school. If you're from Chongwen Elementary and would like to correct or expand this page, please contact us.