A private school that has stood for over one hundred years near Sanya may soon face collapse if not immediately restored. [Photo: hinews.cn]

A private school that has stood for over one hundred years in Hainan Province is in danger of collapse and local residents are calling for its immediate restoration, Hinews.cn reported Monday.

The Sanxing (three-surname) private school is one of the few old buildings remaining from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Yacheng, a town 40 kilometers west of Sanya.

Private academies, or sishu in Chinese, were very popular in ancient China and formed the base for the traditional educational system in the country.

With a total of 156 square meters, the building was once the best of its type in the village. Its main structure luckily survived but was badly damaged and the building's front gate and fencing have long gone. Paint on the clay bricks has peeled away and characters painted on the front of the school have become vague.

Started in 1886, the school was built by three native clans with the family surnames Yin, Lu and Lin. This is how the school got its name.

Since then, children attended the school and learnt Confucian philosophy there. It continued to exist for many years and educated about four generations of students.

However, this old building was not listed as a cultural relic until 2006. Seeing this hundred-year-old school fall into disrepair and neglect left local people feeling it was a great shame.

In the central hall part of the ceiling has already collapsed and a beam hangs in the air, which was knocked down by a typhoon three years ago and left to dangle, according to Yin Yuanwang, who now lives in the dilapidated school with four other family members.

As another typhoon season is approaching, local authorities have decided to move this family out to a safer place and will again appeal for financial support to refurbish the building.

Yacheng, where the building is located, has a long history and contains many historical scenic spots. The town was nominated as a "famous historical cultural town" in China last year.

Local authorities plan to take urgent measures to protect cultural relics throughout the town, including this school, Hinews.cn reports.