A Distinguished Heritage

Explore Hwa Chong Institution's history, from its founding in 1919 as Singapore's first Mandarin secondary school to its centennial in 2019.

Last updated 19 May 2026

A Distinguished Heritage

1919
The Chinese High School was founded
as the first secondary school in Singapore offering
a modern education in Mandarin.

Stone arch entrance with "The Singapore Chinese High School" and Chinese characters inscribed on it.

1925
The Chinese High School moved into her
Bukit Timah campus, complete with
its distinctive clock tower building.

Black and white photo of a large colonial-style building with columns surrounded by tall palm trees.

1942-1945
Due to its height and location, the Chinese High School’s clock
tower served as a vantage point for surveillance
for the Allied forces and the occupying Japanese army.

Black and white photo of a large colonial-style building with a tower, surrounded by trees and an open grassy field.

1974
Hwa Chong Junior College was founded
as the second junior college in Singapore. The school
would take over pre-university classes previously
conducted at The Chinese High School.

Vintage sepia photo of a large school assembly outdoors, with rows of students seated around a courtyard.

1979
The Chinese High School was accorded Special
Assistance Plan status to nurture bilingual
scholars, steeped in Chinese traditions and values.

Three Chinese publications arranged together, including an open book and two booklets with Chinese text on covers.

1981
Hwa Chong Junior College pioneered the prestigious
Humanities Programme. This programme
became renowned for its success in sending students
to Oxbridge and other top universities in the world.

Six adults, three men and a woman in a floral dress, pose together outdoors in a vintage black and white photo.

1987
The Chinese High School acquired Independent
School status, and was granted greater autonomy
for innovation and experimentation.
The school was one of the first to offer
Computer Studies as a subject in the 1980s.

Four young boys gathered around an old desktop computer, with one pointing at the monitor screen.

1991
Hwa Chong Junior College celebrated a move back
into her Bukit Timah campus. In 1987, structural
instabilities on the campus had forced students
and staff to relocate twice in four years to temporary
campuses before the necessary works were completed.

2005
The Making of Hwa Chong Institution In 2005, The Chinese
High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College
to facilitate the running of a holistic six-year
Integrated Programme with unrivalled state-of-the-art facilities.

Three buildings: a white research centre, a modern multi-story facade with greenery, and a colonial building with a clock tower.

2019
Hwa Chong Centennial Celebrations In 2019,
Hwa Chong Institution celebrated a hundred years
of excellence in teaching and learning.
The celebrations coincided with Singapore’s
bicentennial commemorations, clearly
demonstrating the intertwining of the two histories.