The proverb "Ten schools, nine tombs" seems to have become a common deterrent for many parents and educators to persuade naughty students not to run around outside the school.
This is not a statement made out of nowhere. In fact, many institutions do choose to build schools near cemeteries, not only in primary and secondary schools, but also in universities, some of which are even located on mass graves.
So, why do universities like to choose the site of the cemetery?What kind of mystery is hidden in this?
In many cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Xi'an, the location of many colleges and universities seems to be related to local tombs or mass graves. In China, it is not uncommon for universities to be built at or near graves.
Taking Beijing as an example, the site of Beijing Normal University was the cemetery of the Manchu magnates during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and there are still ancient tomb sites such as the "Girl's Tomb" on campus. During the land acquisition and construction of the school, a series of controversies arose due to the need to clean up a large area of existing burials.
A retired teacher at the school revealed that many residents at the time believed that the school was being built to encroach on this treasure of feng shui. Wudaokou, near the China University of Geosciences, was once a mass grave for unclaimed bodies.
According to rumors, during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, it is said that a large number of eunuch bones were piled up here, and later in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, the school builders chose this empty and desolate land. In Xi'an, next door to Shaanxi Normal University is the cemetery known as the "Wu Family Tomb".
Local legend says that a powerful person is buried here, and the cemetery is not small. Whenever the school is mentioned, the first impression that comes to people's minds is "Wu's Tomb".
There are even rumors of local university students having undead ghosts appearing here, and there are rumors of ghosts crying at night, so no one dares to approach them. The school has been ignoring these rumors.
In Guangdong, Guangzhou University, South China Normal University and other universities have also found a number of ancient tombs. Among them, the mausoleum of a Southern Han emperor unearthed at the construction site of South China Normal University is particularly eye-catching.
Experts involved in the excavation said the precious artifacts in the tomb surprised the entire excavation team. According to rumors, this place was chosen for burial because of the excellent feng shui in this place back then.
Why do these universities build near or above graves?The reasons can be varied, such as lower land prices and the ability to save money in the process of building a school. This economic consideration is especially applicable to some teacher training colleges that are financially constrained.
There are also some opinions that the decision to build the school was not influenced by feng shui or graves, but only any vacant land that could be expropriated was selected out of the urgency of the construction deadline. Nowadays, most young people are skeptical of Feng Shui and no longer blindly follow superstitions, while higher education pays more attention to cultivating a scientific spirit, making students pay more attention to seeking truth from facts and common sense. In this day and age, a university built on a grave already has a relatively small impact on students.
Nowadays, young people generally do not believe in Feng Shui and have a weaker attitude towards superstition. Colleges and universities pay more attention to cultivating students' scientific concepts, so that they pay more attention to practical facts and basic knowledge. As a result, even the occasional discovery of ancient tombs on campus can be an interesting moment for some students to experience the archaeological excavations firsthand, and perhaps a special topic of conversation on campus.
The shortage of land resources is an urgent problem. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, due to the rapid increase in population and the relaxation of the family planning policy, the population of rural families swelled rapidly, and families of eight or even ten appeared. Newborns are being born all over the place, creating an increasing need for housing.
At the same time, due to the construction of reservoirs and highways, the area of arable land has gradually decreased, resulting in a severe shortage of land resources, and it has become extremely difficult to choose a place to build a house.
In this case, the new rural primary school needs to find a suitable site, which usually requires hundreds of acres of land. With limited land resources, it is almost impossible to find such a vast open space.
If the villagers' homesteads are forcibly requisitioned to build schools, it will affect dozens of families at least a dozen or more, leaving them with nowhere to live. Even if they choose to move to the farmland of the villagers, they will inevitably take away the land on which they depend for their livelihoods, causing strong opposition. In both cases, it seems difficult to find a workable solution.
People are beginning to consider the use of undeveloped wasteland on both sides of the river, however, these areas are uneven and full of sand and potholes. It takes a year to sort out and fill these areas, and can alarm all sorts of critters sleeping underneath.
By the time everything was ready, the school season had passed, and those children who were eager to go to school had to wait a year in vain. In addition, there is the construction of a football field in the village, which further expands the area of occupied land. With a limited budget, it is difficult to cope with such a lengthy construction process.
Eventually, the villagers' eyes turned to a mass grave, a dark, damp and uncomfortable place where the dead were buried. The university took the opportunity to occupy this long-unused land, and also enclosed other vacant land nearby to build staff dormitories. Although the villagers were slightly dissatisfied, they did not openly oppose it, after all, the land has not been used and has not hindered their livelihood.
A few years later, the campus that rose on the mass grave was full of ancient trees and greenery. In the summer, the campus is filled with cicadas chirping, giving people a sense of tranquility. The villagers realized that it was possible to build a green school on the mass grave, which not only disseminated knowledge, but also became the new guardian of the land.
Ten schools and nine graves" With population growth and urbanization, the competition for land resources has become more and more intense. In this case, the encounter between the cemetery and the school becomes a unique "symbiotic relationship".
The cemetery is more affordable and remote, far from the city center, and the environment is quiet. This is a natural appeal to school investors who are focused on cost control. At the same time, the vast space of the cemetery can also meet the needs of the school for urgent construction land.
For students, they do not require too "lively" places for life and Xi, on the contrary, a quiet environment is more ideal. Coupled with the psychological quality of students at this age, they are not easily affected by the so-called "gloomy" environment.
As a result, cemeteries can be used to their full potential for schools and students. Of course, there are still some taboos about cemeteries, especially some elders with strong traditional concepts.
This "superstition" has been significantly weakened in contemporary times and has little impact on decision-making. The prevalence of scientific rationality makes us more rational about this seemingly "awkward" combination.
In fact, there is no fundamental contradiction between the cemetery and the school, the cemetery provides the most reasonable land resources, and the school brings new vitality to the land. To a certain extent, the two have achieved "resource sharing", which is in line with the concept of sustainable development.
In today's China, the coexistence of cemeteries and schools has become commonplace, and the implications of this are worthy of our in-depth consideration. Neither should be swayed by superstitions nor ignore the potential risks that may exist in them.
Overall, cemetery schools are not necessarily "gloomy" as long as they are carefully sited, but rather they are more likely to be a new starting point for campus culture.
With the development of society, people's values are also changing, and the emergence of cemetery schools is the embodiment of this change. On the one hand, we pursue economic benefits and pay attention to the reuse of resources, on the other hand, we are more rational and scientific, and are no longer bound by some superstitions.
The campus life of the cemetery school is actually not much different from other schools, and even because of the tranquil environment, it is more conducive to the students to concentrate on their Xi. In general, parents and students find this option to be both affordable and realistic.
Of course, sensitive issues such as the relocation of the body need to be properly handled during the construction process to ensure that the process is dignified and dignified, but as long as the procedures are in place, the bereaved family can usually be understood and supported. After all, the living are ultimately in the service of the living.
The relationship between people and land is at the core of sustainable development, and the conversion of cemeteries into schools has alleviated the pressure on land supply to a certain extent and achieved more efficient land use. This innovative approach deserves our deep consideration.
In the future, it cannot be ruled out that more cemeteries will be occupied by schools or other uses, a phenomenon that is not terrible and does not need to be over-interpreted.
Epilogue. With regard to the complex issue of school location, we must carefully consider the concerns of different stakeholders. We need to find a balance between development and tradition, and between student well-being and folk beliefs, and make the necessary compromises.
This is a topic that deserves further attention. The school environment has a vital impact on student development, and we need to balance these considerations within the limited space to ensure that students have a better Xi environment. This is a difficult question to ponder.