Nan-Kwang Senior High School was established in September 1947 by the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) under the name “Tainan County Private Taiwan Sugar Junior High School.” Its founding principal was Mr. Lu Bao-Yu, then assistant manager of TSC.
A second campus was later established in Shilin, Taipei. However, due to the concentration of TSC employees in southern Taiwan, the Taipei campus was merged with the Xinying campus in August 1948, forming “Tainan County Private Nan-Kwang Junior High School.”
The school initially operated in the Sanguang Dormitory and Zhongshan Hall of the Xinying Sugar Refinery. In 1948, a new classroom building was added. In 1949, the school was renamed “Private Nan-Kwang Junior High School” and officially registered with the Taiwan Provincial Department of Education on November 21.
In 1950, a senior high division was added, and the school was renamed “Tainan County Private Nan-Kwang High School.” The school expanded its facilities, and most students were children of TSC employees, who received tuition waivers and dormitory subsidies.
In 1957, the school launched a vocational agriculture program under an industrial-education partnership. Students boarded on campus, engaged in farming and animal husbandry for food supply, and participated in sugarcane fieldwork during winter breaks. Graduates were assigned directly to TSC branches. This program lasted four cohorts.
That same year, due to government policy changes, TSC began withdrawing financial support. The school sustained operations through previously allocated funds and interest-bearing endowments.
In 1966, the school was transferred to the TSC Employee Welfare Committee. The Jieshou Building, a major teaching facility, was completed in 1968.
In 1974, vocational departments in mechanical, electrical, and sugar production were added under cooperative training agreements with TSC. Students received full tuition waivers, stipends, labor insurance, and job placement benefits, attracting strong enrollment.
In 1979, the school adopted its current name: “Tainan County Private Nan-Kwang Senior High School,” and continued facility expansion, including dormitories and the Qinxue Building.
In 2001, cooperative programs with TSC ended. Nan-Kwang transitioned into a general senior high school and inaugurated the new Ren-Ai Building.
In 2006, the vocational division was formally closed, making Nan-Kwang a comprehensive high school.
In 2010, following the administrative merger of Tainan County and City, the school was renamed “Tainan City Private Nan-Kwang Senior High School.”
For over 75 years, Nan-Kwang has remained committed to educational innovation, societal contribution, and the cultivation of global talent. Its alumni include distinguished diplomats, public servants, and cultural figures, all testifying to the school’s legacy of excellence.