School motto,the soul of school culture,could reflect the ethos of a school.The school motto is the spiritual philosophy shared by all teachers and students in school,and the basic behavior standards and moral that they all follow.The school motto plays an important guiding role in all aspects of school works.Therefore,school motto could reflects the traditions and characteristics of one school,and also contains the philosophy and objectives of schooling.It is of great significance to explore the historical inheritance,educational philosophy,educational goal and the construction of a school from the perspective of motto.Hunan Normal University is a provincial university with normal advantages and characteristics,and has formed its own unique educational philosophy and objectives for 80 years.Studying the motto of Hunan Normal University could help us to clarify the connotation of school education and enrich university culture.The historical evolution of the motto of Hunan Normal University is in line with the development track of the university itself.The motto of the national normal college was "benevolence and diligence" in 1938.From 1950s to 1980s,the motto was "being hunman,caring,excellent and industrious".At the beginning of the 21st century,Hunan Normal University stepped into the ranks of national main construction university,which is called "Project 211".In 2006,Hunan Normal University redefined the motto as "being hunman,caring,excellent and industrious."This paper mainly uses the research methods of historical research,literature,field survey(interview),case analysis to study the motto’s connotation,characteristics and the impact on the running of the historical literature survey.This motto is elegant and has both beautiful language expression and rich cultural background,and it is distinct from the motto of other colleges and universities.The connotation of school motto reflects the unity of humanistic and scientific spirit,the blending of modern ideas and traditional cultures,and the organic combination of the beauty in content and form.The connotation of this motto has played an active role in solidifying the core value of the university,inheriting the school’s history and culture,guiding the direction of future development,standardizing the behavior of teachers and students,promoting the construction of university culture and establishing a unique brand.Therefore,Hunan Normal University’s school motto is a brilliant one with a long history,beautiful rhythm and profound connotation.It has a positive and enlightening significance for the formulation and optimization of the motto of other universities,especially the normal ones.