Yu Minhong thanks Sun Dongxu as Hefei New Oriental marks 20 years: "Without him, there would be no today"

Celebration and acknowledgment

Hefei New Oriental (合肥新东方) marked the 20th anniversary of its establishment this week, and it has been reported that New Oriental (新东方) founder Yu Minhong (俞敏洪) used the occasion to single out a long-serving colleague. It has been reported that Yu publicly thanked Sun Dongxu (孙东旭), saying, reportedly, "Without him, there would be no today." The comment underscored the role of local managers and teachers in building one of China's best-known private education brands.

What Western readers should know

New Oriental was founded by Yu Minhong and grew into China's largest private tutoring and test-prep company, once listed on U.S. markets and known for tutoring millions of students preparing for domestic and overseas exams. Hefei New Oriental is one of many city-level branches that supplied both revenue and local goodwill. It has been reported that Sun Dongxu was among the school's earliest leaders or core staff who helped establish its local presence.

The wider context

This anniversary comes after a turbulent period for China's private tutoring sector. Beijing's 2021 "double reduction" regulations transformed the business environment overnight, pushing for-profit after-school tutoring on core subjects to scale back or convert, and forcing companies like New Oriental to diversify their activities. The public gratitude Yu expressed highlights a forward-looking message: survival and reinvention are as much about local teams as corporate strategy. What comes next for city branches like Hefei — more international pathways, vocational training, or community services — remains to be seen.