Towering trees have their roots and the rivers flowing around the mountains have their sources. The predecessor of Xi'an Jiaotong University is Nanyang Public University that was founded in Shanghai in 1896; in 1905, it was transferred to the commercial department and was renamed High Industrial School; in 1906, it was under the command of postal transmission department. It was renamed Shanghai High Industrial School of Postal Transmission Department.

Gate of Shanghai Special Industrial School of Traffic Department from 1912 to 1921.

In 1911, Xinhai Revolution broke out. The school was renamed Grand Naiyang University; after Republic of China was founded in 1912, it was managed by traffic department and was renamed Shanghai Special Industrial School of Traffic Department; in 1921, Jiaotong university was set up by merging Shanghai Special Industrial School, Tangshan Special Industrial School, Beiping Railway Management School and Beiping Post Telecommunication School. So our university was called Shanghai School of Jiaotong University; in 1922,Jiaotong University had three schools. The original Shanghai School was renamed Nanyang University of Traffic Department. in 1927, it was renamed the First Jiaotong University of the Traffic Department; In 1928, the Guomin Government issued "Organizational Outline of Jiaotong University". The three schools in Shanghai, Tangshan and Beiping were all called Jiaotong University. The headquarter was in Shanghai. In the same year, it was transferred to railway department.