Since its fouding, Mingde Middle School has taken ‘hard work, sincerity’ as the School Mottoes, enduring great hardships in pioneer work. And finally, it becomes a famous school with its own splendid history and culture, which is known for the magnificent buildings and the talents coming forth in large numbers. At early stages, Mingde School advocated synchronizing Chinese and Western culture, abolishing the ‘eight-part essay’, carrying out national education and cultivating military talents. In 1903, Mr. Hu Yuan Tan came back to China from Japan after finishing his studies. He was deeply motivated by the two national humiliations of Jiawu War and Gengzi War, and decided to save and strengthen the nation by education. Hence he established Mingde School to put forth his ambitions. Mingde School initially lodged in the Zuo Zong Tang temple. In 1907, Mingde established its own school in Tai Li An Da Wan, which was successful.

Mr. Hu Yuantan founded Mingde University in Beijing and initiated the new movements in scholarship. In order to raise funding, he traveled thousands of miles and went through all kinds of hardships, and finally completed Lecheng Hall, which was the grandest building at that time in history, it’s said that “it's unbelievable that the brand new Lecheng Hall stands upright at the campus center. ” It is now made clear that nothing is impossible to a willing mind. However, history would be less appealing without Mr. Hu, great personality, profound knowledge, and his unconquerable spirit.

Guided by the school’s motto of “toughness, hardness, authenticity, and sincerity” and the spirit of “hardworking and tempering the personality in order to educate every single child”, Mingde people are pursuing the educational dream, writing the legend. It was the “original place of Xinhai Revolution” in 1904. Then, in 1918, Mao Zedong had published an article in Xiangjiang Comment and left the recognition “despite the current situation being disappointing, Mingde is on its way to tending prosperity”. Chiang Kai-shek had visited Mingde School and took photos with teachers and students after visiting, he gifted Mingde School calligraphy saying “Abiding by the highest good”. Mingde ranked No.1 when Ministry of Education selected the top ten middle schools in 1933. Mingde was named Pilot Demonstration High School of first group in Hunan in 2004. In its 110 year history, “the cradle of academicians” and “King of Tai’an” are well-know all around China. With numerous talents cultivated here, Mingde contributes a large proportion of Hunan artistic conception. Noticeable people, such as: politicians Huang Xing, Ren Bishi, Zhou Xiaozhou; literature masters Zhou Gucheng, Jin Yuelin; Scientists Ding Xiaqi, Yu Daguang, Xiao Jimei, Liu Jingnan, Ai Guoxiang, artists Ouyang Yuqian, Su Manshu, Wu Zuguang, all of these highly respected people studied in Mingde School.

For past few years, pushed by the reforming of “Vitality, lively, ecology” in teaching, Mingde is promoting teaching and education quality. Every year, many students are accepted by Tsinghua University, Peking University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Now Mingde Middle School is in the Peking University of “Secondary School Principals Real-name Recommendation System”, “Leader One Hundred Years Program of Tsinghua University”, and also considered as Excellent Students Base by Renmin University of China , Fudan University and other top universities. Mingde School insists to “put culture as a fundamental of school, run the school with its own characteristics” as a rule, and which turns to be is effective. With assistance from Li Guyi and Wang Yougui, Mingde Art Troupe gave a special performance in Sydney Opera House. Cooperation with Professor Liu Rendao from Beijing Normal University, Mingde founded “Rendao Artroom” which was helped many students enter China Central Academy of Fine Arts and other famous art colleges in China. The men’s basketball team won the championship in Across Taiwan Strait High School Men’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, and won the runner-up in Chinese High School Basketball League this year. Besides, Mingde International Department provides a good platform for those students who want to study abroad. Canadian General Consulate in Guangzhou made a special trip to Mingde so both sides could make fruitful efforts. “Nankai is in the North while Mingde is in the South”, providing China with 2 exceptional schools country wide. Mingde is continuing to write a legend of cradle of academics. Carrying the long essence of the Hunan Culture, Mingde Middle School, the century-old famous school full of vigor, moves forward into a new century.

With great dreams, Mingde has always been striving for excellence. Bearing a new historic mission, Mingde has nurtured shining generations since its foundation. As an ancient but dynamic school, Mingde will surely witness greater prosperity in the future. It has a tradition of diligence and sincerity and the principles of cultivating bright minds and individuals with a high social sense. Mingde is committed to achieve its ambition to focus on both students’ physical and mental development.

Mingde is playing a leading role in high-quality education resource integration and campus diversity. Its school's mode has been imitated in different locations across China under different levels and systems. Presently, it has grown into Mingde Education Group consisting of Mingde Middle School, Mingde Huaxing Junior Middle School, Mingde Lugu Junior Middle School, MingdeTianxin Junior Middle School, Mingde Dongjing Junior Middle School, Mingde Dacai Middle School, MingdeLuguKindergarten, Mingde Middle School International Department, Hainan Danzhou No. 1 Middle School and Guizhou Tongren Mingde Hengmin Middle School. Its scale covers pre-school, primary school, elementary school, high school as well as Gaokao preparing education. Each school has developed smoothly and is operating efficiently. With a promising future, Mingde is becoming the education model of Hunan, embraced all around the nation.

With retrospect to the past full of emotion; we look forward to the future with boundless pride. School's "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" will be a guideline for the development of Mingde, building the school with culture, teaching in characteristic, developing with connotation, casting brand, and creating with new glories. We will build Mingde into a modern, digital, demonstrative school with not only Hunan province prevalence but also certain influencing First-class Schools domestic and overseas.

 明德中学自创办以来，一直以“坚苦真诚”为校训，筚路蓝缕，艰难开拓，终得规模宏达，英才辈出，灿若星河。早期的明德学堂，主张中西文化融合，废除“八股”，实行“军国民教育”，“养成中等社会人才”。1903年，胡元倓先生留日归国，深感甲午、庚子两役创巨痛深，非造就建国人才不可，于是下定决定兴学图强，创立了明德学堂，以实现教育救国梦想。明德学堂初期借左宗棠祠开学。1907年，始在泰安里大湾建成校舍，堂馆辉煌。

 1913年，胡元倓先生创立明德大学于北京，打开新学风气之先。他为筹措经费，常年敝袍雨伞四处奔走，出关外，走南洋，冒风雪，犯严寒，历酷暑，跋涉险阻，念垢忍辱，终于在1932年建成了当时最宏伟的教学大楼——乐诚堂?！独殖咸霉こ碳鸵芳窃?，今日居然有崭新的乐诚堂，矗立在学校中心。这固然是有志竟成，但没有九师这种伟大的人格，渊博的学问和百折不回的精神，绝没有今天的历史。

 在“坚苦真诚”的传统校训，和“磨血育人”的传统办学精神引领下，明德人不断追逐教育梦想，抒写教育传奇。1904年，这里曾是“辛亥革命的策源地”；1918年，毛泽东同志在湘江评论上发文，留下了“实务虽倒，而明德方兴”的赞誉。1932年，蒋介石视察明德和师生合影，题写“止于至善”四个大字以赠。1933年，全国评定十所基础教育最佳学校，明德位列榜首；2004年明德被评为湖南省首批示范性高级中学。明德中学在110年的岁月里，“院士摇篮”和“泰安球王”的称号誉满神州，学子英才辈出，湖湘气韵，半出明德。引人瞩目者灿若群星：黄兴、任弼时、周小舟等政治家，周谷城、金岳霖等文化大师，丁夏畦、俞大光、肖纪美、刘经南、艾国祥等著名科学家，欧阳予倩、苏曼殊、吴祖光等著名艺术家，都是曾经的明德学子。

 近年来，在“生命化”、“生活化”、“生态化”的“三生”课堂教学改革推动下，教育教学质量稳步上升。每年都有多名同学被清华、北大、香港中文大学录取，已成为北大“校长实名推荐制”和清华“新百年领军计划”学校以及人大、复旦在内的数十所一流高校优秀生源基地。学校坚持“文化立校，特色办学”，卓有成效。由李谷一、王佑贵指导的明德中学艺术团，在悉尼歌剧院进行了专场演出，与北京师范大学刘人岛教授合作的“人岛画室”，帮助多名学生考上中央美术学院等著名高校。男篮去年获海峡两岸高中男子篮球邀请赛冠军，今年获全国高中生篮球联赛亚军。明德国际部还为学生走向世界搭建良好平台，与加拿大合作结出累累硕果，去年加拿大驻广州总领事馆专程访问明德?！氨庇心峡?，南有明德”。今日之明德仍在续写院士摇篮的卓越史诗?；氐醋藕嫖幕挠圃读榛?，明德中学这所青春焕发的百年名校，正以崭新的姿态进入新的百年。

 明德因梦想而立，梦想铸造极致，万里之行，明德一路相随，胸怀崭新的历史使命。明德中学这所古老而年轻的学校，将在未来百年的湖湘名校之林更创辉煌。今日的明德正秉承“坚苦真诚”，“磨血育人”的光荣传统，以“明德树人”为核心办学思想，以“为孩子终身的发展与幸福奠基”为办学理念，与时俱进、再创辉煌。目前学校充分发挥省级示范性高中的示范作用、辐射作用，坚持优质教育资源的整合与共享，以校园文化底蕴为模板，多区域多层次多体制办学，构建起了由明德中学、明德华兴中学、明德麓谷学校、明德天心中学、明德洞井中学、明德达材学校、明德麓谷幼儿园、明德中学国际部及省外托管的海南儋州一中、贵州铜仁明德衡民中学等共同组成的明德教育集团，形成涵盖幼儿教育、小学教育、初高中教育、高考补习教育的完整的基础教育体系。并且各分校做到了新理念引领、高起点谋划、大手笔建设、高效率运转、全方位服务、发展态势良好、成为湖南基础教育对外开放展示的重要窗口。

 回顾过去，心潮澎湃，展望未来，豪情满怀。明德将以学校“十二五”发展规划为指针，文化立校、特色办学，内涵发展、铸炼品牌，创造新的辉煌，把明德中学办成一所现代化、数字化、示范性、省内知名、在国内外都有一定影响的一流名校！