武昌与“国学”渊源颇殊。梁启超、章太炎于日本提出“国学”之前，张之洞率先在武昌用“中学、旧学”这一概念总结中国传统学术。1898年，他在《劝学篇》中指出：“今欲强中国，存中学，则不得不讲西学。然不先以中学固其根柢，端其识趣，……其祸更烈于不通西学者矣。”该书对于以经学为核心、经史子集兼顾的“中学、旧学”有着明确的论述，这与后来章太炎等人所说的“国学”概念基本一致。

Wuchang is closely connected with Chinese Classics. Before “GuoXue”(国学) was raised by Liang Qichao 梁启超 and Zhang Taiyan 章太炎 in Japan, Zhang Zhidong 张之洞 took the lead in generalizing Chinese traditional academic to “Chinese Study”(中学) or “Old learning”(旧学). There is a specific exposition about it concentrating on classics and giving considerations to history, philosophy and literature as well in China’s Only Hope (《劝学篇》) written by Zhang Zhidong in 1898, which is in basic agreement with “GuoXue” said by Zhang Taiyan and others.

20世纪二三十年代，北大国学门、清华国学研究院、燕京大学国学研究所、无锡国专等纷纷成立。武昌作为近现代国学的肇兴之地，不甘落后。1923年，湖北教育主管部门推动湖北当局在武昌高师校内（武汉大学前身）创设“湖北国学馆”。聘请武昌高师教授王葆心为馆长，延聘著名学者黄侃、黄福、姚晋圻、刘凤章、李希如等人出任教授，汇聚了一支强大的师资阵容，以“昌明国学、内存国性、外美国风，促文化之进行”为宗旨。据湖北国学馆首届学生徐复观回忆：“1923年秋，湖北创办国学馆，执教者皆一时耆硕……（王葆心）先生分课程为经、史、文、理四科，日与诸生讲贯讨论，一复宋明书院讲学之遗规。”惜乎时局动荡，三年后湖北国学馆停办。

Department of Sinology of Peking University, Tsinghua Academy of Chinese Learning, and Chinese Classics Research Institutes in Yenching University and so on were founded one after another in the 1920s and 1930s. As the origination of Chinese Classics in modern and contemporary history, Wuchang was unwilling to fall behind. The education department of Hubei promoted to establish Hubei College of Chinese Classics in Wuchang Higher Normal School. Prof. Wang Baoxin 王葆心 was engaged as the curator, and Huang Kan 黄侃, Huang Fu 黄福, Yao Jinqi 姚晋圻, Liu Fengzhang 刘凤章, Li Xiru 李希如 and many other famous scholars were invited to be professors, aiming to thriving Chinese Classics, keeping the national character, beautifying the national customs and flourishing the Chinese culture. Unfortunately, the school suspended because of social unrest three years later.

武昌高师历经武昌中山大学、武汉大学的传承演变，其国学研究传统得以延续。继续在武汉大学任教的，除王葆心、黄侃等国学大师外，还有熊十力、闻一多、吴宓、李剑农、杨树达、高亨、范寿康、朱光潜、刘赜、刘永济、黄焯、谭戒甫、唐长孺、吴于廑、石泉、苏雪林、程千帆、沈祖棻、萧萐父诸先生。21世纪以来，武汉大学创办国学专业，设立国学院，承续张之洞、王葆心等先贤开创的武昌国学文脉。从学术精神传承的角度来观，湖北国学馆可视作武汉大学国学院前身。

Wuchang Higher Normal School evolved into Wuchang Sun Yet-Sen University and then Wuhan University, thus research tradition of Chinese Classics could be lasted. Besides Wang Baoxin and Huang Kan, there were still many masters teaching at Wuhan University, such as Xiong Shili 熊十力, Wen Yiduo 闻一多, Wu Mi 吴宓, Li Jiannong 李剑农, Yang Shuda 杨树达, Gao Heng 高亨, Fan Shoukang 范寿康, Zhu Guangqian 朱光潜, Liu Ze 刘赜, Liu Yongji 刘永济, Huang Zhuo 黄焯, Tan Jiefu 谭戒甫, Tang Zhangru 唐长孺, Wu Yujin 吴于廑, Shi Quan 石泉, Su Xuelin 苏雪林, Cheng Qianfan 程千帆, Shen Zufen 沈祖棻, and Xiao Jiefu 萧萐父,etc. Since twenty-first century, Wuhan University established the major and the School of Chinese Classics, and inherited the pulse of Wuchang Chinese Classics which was started by Zhang Zhidong, Wang Baoxin and other great scholars. School of Chinese Classics of Wuhan University grew out of the Hubei College of Chinese Classics from perspective of the transmission of the academic spirit.