In April 1988, Professor Chien Wang and a few other Chinese graduate students from the University of Washington began to feel the urgent need to pass on their language and culture to their children. To that end, they rented some classrooms from a church near the University of Washington, and thus began formally educating the next generation in acquiring the Chinese language. The Chinese name for the school, Ming Yuan, was proposed by Professor Wang as an allusion to a famous quote by Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms. Roughly translated, the quote declares that, only by foregoing superficial fame and fortune can one attain one’s true aspirations; only through quiet contemplation can true inner peace be found. The school’s mission was simple and pure: to allow Chinese language and culture to flourish through quiet dedication and hard work. The English name, Evergreen, indicates eternal youth, hope, and vibrancy.
Evergreen Chinese School is a non-profit organization. Over the years, we have maintained a high level of education by keeping our classes small and hiring dedicated teachers. Besides teaching heritage students, our school now includes Chinese language classes for non-native speakers.