The school was founded in 1902 by Xiong Xiling, who was the first Finance Minister of Republic of China.
It has been a prominent high school in Hunan since its establishment, especially reputable for cultivation of revolutionaries and politicians during the turbulent years of 20th century.
In 1902, Xiong Xiling, a Hunan-born industrialist and reformer, founded the Western Normal College (西路師範講習所) to provide modern education for local youths in Northwestern Hunan.
It was transformed to a provincial secondary school in the era of Republic of China, and renamed to Changde First Middle School after the communist takeover.
The school campus used to be the manor of Zhu Yizhen (zh:朱翊鉁), a prince in Ming Dynasty.