Peking University Information
Peking University: An Overview
Peking University (called "Beida" in China) was founded in 1898 as the first national university in Chinese modern history. It is known today as the "Harvard of China" and enjoys the highest academic reputation.
Beida's professors are among the most free thinking in China and its tradition instills a sense of pride and responsibility in their students who are only too conscious of the university's place in the nation. For the past hundred years, Beida has been the most selective university in China. Its students are all top scorers in the national college entrance exams in each province.
The university now consists of five parts: Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, Medicine, and Information and Engineering, and there are 30 schools and colleges offering 93 undergraduate programs, 199 postgraduate programs, and 173 doctoral programs.
The university library is the largest of its kind in Asia, with a collection of 5.51 million books and more than 6,500 titles of Chinese and foreign journals and newspapers. The library also serves as a comprehensive modern information center.
The university has around 5,000 full-time teaching faculty, of whom about 1,200 are professors and over 1,500 are associate professors. There are over 14,000 undergraduates, over 8,000 graduates and about 4,000 doctoral candidates. In addition, there are also on campus about 1,500 long-term international students and over 2,500 short-term international students from 80 countries.
Relevant websites:
1. Peking University Website
>http://english.pku.edu.cn/index.htm
2. Peking University at a Glance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNL2CaEmHvA
3. Walking tour of Peking University Campus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVRRWS3VpHk
Peking University: Campus Information
Besides its excellent academic achievements, Peking University is also known for its beautiful campus, constructed in part by Yenching University, an American missionary school before 1949. Located at the northwest of Beijing, the campus has charming lakes and ponds, exquisite traditional-style buildings, and a well-designed pagoda which has been regarded as a landmark of Beida.
The campus, known as "Yan Yuan"（the garden of Yan）, is situated at Haidian District in the west of Beijing, with a total area of 2,743,532 square metres (or 274 hectares). It stands near to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Summer Palace.
The PKU campus and its environs are quite walkable. There is a good bus service, and taxis are inexpensive (tipping not required). Some students invest in really inexpensive bicycles which are everywhere. There is a PKU subway stop located conveniently for you to travel to the downtown of Beijng.
Electronic map of Beijing University
http://mappery.com/map-of/Peking-University-Map
Housing on Campus 
Visiting students will be living in Zhongguanyuan Global Village PKU, which is located directly adjacent to the PKU East Gate (Beida Dong Men). It is fully furnished; you will not need to bring/rent any normal household materials. The apartment will have pillows and linens already, so these are not needed. The apartment is equipped with internet service.
Zhongguanyuan Global Village PKU Website:
Eating Options on Campus
Many restaurants at Peking University serve a variety of foods, beverages, and fruits to the students and staff. There are many campus restaurants and are easily accessible from all parts of campus. The campus also has gymnasiums, sports grounds, bookstores, a post office, a bank and a hospital. Besides havinig a few samll supermarkets, the campus is conveneintly located near a very large shopping district, where there are several supermarkets, shopping malls, bookstores, theaters, restaurants, etc.
Highlights on Campus
Peking University Hall
The Peking University Hall, full name Peking University Centennial Memorial Hall (Chinese Name: 北京大学百年纪念讲堂), was built to celebrate the 100-year birthday of Peking University.
Covering more than 5,600 square meters, it >is the biggest multifunctional complex among nation-wide universities and colleges in China. With multiple stages and a massive performance hall, you will often find less commercial performances of avant-garde music here for very eager student audiences. It holds regular music performances, concerts, stage plays and films in its three-story and has 2,167 seats, state-of-the-art av equipment, rehearsal room, meeting rooms, a gallery and more.
Café to the north of the University Hall
It is the best on campus, a good place to socialize and make friends etc.
Photogenic Spots
This classic ancient campus has shops, restaurants, post offices, banks, hospitals and almost anything you need for your daily life. Walking in the school garden makes you feel like walking in a traditional ancient Chinese garden. It is very scenic everywhere. Its main entrance at the West Gate is even a very hot photogenic spot. It is not easy to take a photo here. If you want to, better wake up early and you will face fewer competitors.
The To-Be-Named Lake (Wei Ming Lake) is another must-see within the Peking University campus. This place is extremely beautiful and the former headmaster just couldn’t name it. So ‘No name’ is actual the name of the lake.
Heritage Sites
Among the gardens and lake area, there are actually plenty of heritage sites. The most famous being the Pillars and the Tilted Tail Stone Fish at the To-Be-Named Lake, both were relocated here from the Old Summer Palace after its disaster in 1860.
Relevant Website:
http://english.pku.edu.cn/AboutPKU/VirtualTour/
Places of Interest Near Campus
All scenic spots at the western part of Beijing are not far away from the Peking University. Just a couple of blocks away is the Summer Palace. Beijing Botanical Garden also worth a visit if you have time. However the Old Summer Palace is highly recommended and it is just 20 minutes drive from Peking University. Xiangshan Park is also within 30 minutes drive which is a must-see if you come in autumn when the whole area turns red, with red leaves everywhere. Tsianghua University which is equally famous as the Peking University is also a few blocks away and worth a visit.
