diff --git a/sequence_tagging_for_ner/network_conf.py b/sequence_tagging_for_ner/network_conf.py
index a2a8f8bea3..7074ae96d8 100644
--- a/sequence_tagging_for_ner/network_conf.py
+++ b/sequence_tagging_for_ner/network_conf.py
@@ -4,31 +4,7 @@
 import paddle.v2.evaluator as evaluator
 
 
-def stacked_rnn(input_layer,
-                hidden_size,
-                hidden_para_attr,
-                rnn_para_attr,
-                stack_num=3,
-                reverse=False):
-    for i in range(stack_num):
-        hidden = paddle.layer.fc(
-            size=hidden_size,
-            act=paddle.activation.Tanh(),
-            bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
-            input=[input_layer] if not i else [hidden, rnn],
-            param_attr=[rnn_para_attr]
-            if not i else [hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr])
-
-        rnn = paddle.layer.recurrent(
-            input=hidden,
-            act=paddle.activation.Relu(),
-            bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
-            reverse=reverse,
-            param_attr=rnn_para_attr)
-    return hidden, rnn
-
-
-def ner_net(word_dict_len, label_dict_len, stack_num=3, is_train=True):
+def ner_net(word_dict_len, label_dict_len, stack_num=2, is_train=True):
     mark_dict_len = 2
     word_dim = 50
     mark_dim = 5
@@ -51,37 +27,55 @@ def ner_net(word_dict_len, label_dict_len, stack_num=3, is_train=True):
         size=mark_dim,
         param_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=math.sqrt(1. / word_dim)))
 
-    emb_layers = [word_embedding, mark_embedding]
-
-    word_caps_vector = paddle.layer.concat(input=emb_layers)
+    word_caps_vector = paddle.layer.concat(
+        input=[word_embedding, mark_embedding])
 
     mix_hidden_lr = 1e-3
     rnn_para_attr = paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=0.0, learning_rate=0.1)
     hidden_para_attr = paddle.attr.Param(
         initial_std=1 / math.sqrt(hidden_dim), learning_rate=mix_hidden_lr)
 
-    forward_hidden, rnn_forward = stacked_rnn(word_caps_vector, hidden_dim,
-                                              hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr)
-    backward_hidden, rnn_backward = stacked_rnn(
-        word_caps_vector,
-        hidden_dim,
-        hidden_para_attr,
-        rnn_para_attr,
-        reverse=True)
-
-    fea = paddle.layer.fc(
+    # the first rnn layer shares the input-to-hidden mappings.
+    hidden = paddle.layer.fc(
+        name="__hidden00__",
+        size=hidden_dim,
+        act=paddle.activation.Tanh(),
+        bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
+        input=word_caps_vector,
+        param_attr=hidden_para_attr)
+
+    fea = []
+    for direction in ["fwd", "bwd"]:
+        for i in range(stack_num):
+            if i:
+                hidden = paddle.layer.fc(
+                    name="__hidden%02d_%s__" % (i, direction),
+                    size=hidden_dim,
+                    act=paddle.activation.STanh(),
+                    bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
+                    input=[hidden, rnn],
+                    param_attr=[hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr])
+
+            rnn = paddle.layer.recurrent(
+                name="__rnn%02d_%s__" % (i, direction),
+                input=hidden,
+                act=paddle.activation.Relu(),
+                bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
+                reverse=i % 2 if direction == "fwd" else not i % 2,
+                param_attr=rnn_para_attr)
+        fea += [hidden, rnn]
+
+    rnn_fea = paddle.layer.fc(
         size=hidden_dim,
         bias_attr=paddle.attr.Param(initial_std=1.),
         act=paddle.activation.STanh(),
-        input=[forward_hidden, rnn_forward, backward_hidden, rnn_backward],
-        param_attr=[
-            hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr, hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr
-        ])
+        input=fea,
+        param_attr=[hidden_para_attr, rnn_para_attr] * 2)
 
     emission = paddle.layer.fc(
         size=label_dict_len,
         bias_attr=False,
-        input=fea,
+        input=rnn_fea,
         param_attr=rnn_para_attr)
 
     if is_train:
diff --git a/sequence_tagging_for_ner/train.py b/sequence_tagging_for_ner/train.py
index aa7f69087d..11a7e5890a 100644
--- a/sequence_tagging_for_ner/train.py
+++ b/sequence_tagging_for_ner/train.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 from utils import *
 from network_conf import *
 
+from paddle.v2.layer import parse_network
+
 
 def main(train_data_file,
          test_data_file,