Fujian Normal University (FNU), a century-old university based in Fuzhou, a historic cultural city known as "Land of Culture on the Coast", is a time-honored and well-acclaimed provincial institution of higher learning. Founded as Fujian Superior Normal School in 1907 by the famous late-Qing scholar Chen Baochen, who once served as the teacher of China's last emperor, the present day FNU went through a few changes—merging with the former Hwa-Nan Women's College of Arts and Sciences, Fukien Christian University and Fujian Provincial Teachers School respectively—to form Fujian Teachers College in 1953. In 1972, the University was renamed Fujian Normal University and has been thus referred to since then. In 2012, the Ministry of Education and Fujian government began to jointly support the development of the University. FNU was designated as provincial high-level university for prioritized construction in 2014 and as provincial first-class university in 2018.
