Over and above the must-see sights of Beijing, it is also possible to visit the universities of the city.  It is a good way to see into another way of life.

"I'm never going to leave university.  It's my home".  Aged forty-six, Ms. Li is determined.  This Beijing civil servant left the lecture theatres a long time ago but continues to live on the forty-seven hectare campus of the University of Communications.  Like elsewhere in China, university campuses are not simply places of study.  They are veritable cities within cities.  A reality of life in China today is that everyone studies, and everyone lives, and occasionally, you stay forever at university.

Chinese university campuses are set up differently to those in the West.  Generally located in the city centres, the campuses are enclosed by four walls, with four guarded gates being the only point of entry.  The four guarded entrances, one located to the North, South, East and West, serve to reassure the students and residents of their security, as well as limiting through traffic.

The tranquillity of the campuses contrasts greatly with that of the hubbub on the other side of the walls.  An impression of calm is enhanced by the layout of the campus - the buildings are low and spread out, and surrounded by green areas and playing fields.  As well as these green spaces, you'll also find convenience shops, post offices, banks, hairdressers, small cafes, and a host of other shops necessary for daily life.  It's just about possible to live inside the four walls of the campus, and never venture into the outside world.

This is the reason that many Chinese students go to university in other Chinese provinces.  Due to a lack of funds, the majority of students live in government financed dormitories.  "This is a rite of passage for all first year students in Chinese universities" explains Liu Qi.  In this junior journalist's tiny room, between four and six people are squeezed in, without so much as a proper bathroom.  A few sets of bunk beds, some little desk and a few chairs are the only furniture of the collective residents.