Locke Chinese School Museum

The Joe Shoong School House was built in 1915 and funded by the Kao Ming Tong. The building was used by the KMT members as a meeting place and also used by the Locke community as a town hall. In 1926, with funding from the Nationalist Party of China, it became the National School, or Kao Ming School, a place for children to learn Cantonese reading and writing skills. Chinese children attended this school after a full day of studies at their regular public school. The school was closed around 1940 for a few years before being refurbished in 1952 with funding from Joe Shoong, founder of the National Dollar Store, and later renamed in honor of him. A millionaire philanthropist, Shoong used his wealth to promote Chinese language, art and culture. The school was closed in the mid-eighties due to the decreased youth population and lack of enrollment.

The Chinese school building is now a museum and open to the public free of charge. Currently, two giant bronze busts commemorating Sun Yat-sen and Confucious sit before its entrance. A gift from the Zhongshan Municipal People’s Government of China, the busts are a reminder of Sun Yat-sen’s vision of a democratic modern China and Confucian philosophy. Both have influenced and inspired people from around the world.