TCFSH was the first high school founded by Taiwanese to educate their youngsters during the colonial days under Taiwan under Japanese rule.

The admission of Taichung First Senior High School is extremely competitive.

Less than top 1% of scorers on the Basic Competence Test for Junior High School Students (國民中學學生基本學力測驗) receive admission.

Taichung First Senior High School was founded by elite members of gentry in Taichung in 1915, including Lin Lie-tang (林烈堂 [zh]), Lin Hsien-tang (林獻堂), Lin Hsiung-cheng (林熊徵), Tsai Lien-fang (蔡蓮舫 [zh]) and Koo Hsien-jung (辜顯榮).

Fought against the unfair education policy of the Japanese colonial government, they established the Taichung Middle School (台灣公立台中中學校) to provide better education to the young Taiwanese who did not have the opportunity to attend middle schools which were reserved for the Japanese children exclusively.