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Learning to live with others
There are no cooking facilities to add to the rather Spartan list of furniture. Boring but good healthy food can be bought very cheaply from university canteen. After ten thirty pm, students are no longer permitted to receive guests. And of course, even before that time, no visitors of the opposite sex are permitted. If these living situations seem untenable in the eyes of a Westerner used to more palatial surroundings, the Chinese are stoic. "It's an interesting experience. You get to make lots of friends, and learn to live with other people" assures Liu Qi.
After the first year of university, many students decide to stay in the dormitories. Maybe it's a necessity, or just to spend some time in smaller groups. At the end of their studies, some students decide to definitively live on the campus, just like Wang Zhupeng. Having just tucked his diploma from the University of Communications under his belt, he decided to rent an apartment on the campus, even though it means a longer commute to work. "I wanted to live here because I'm used to life here. I have studied here for years; I know the place and the people that live here", he explains. "Rents are a little bit higher than elsewhere. But the campus is pleasant and safe", he adds.
Useful information :
The university campuses of Beijing are definitely worth a visit. Even if there is nothing special happening, there's always the architecture and statues to admire. Some campuses are as beautiful as parks in the city. Visiting a campus also presents the opportunity to speak to Chinese students of today. Friendly, open and competent in English, they will happily answer your questions, and might even give you a tour of the campus.
The majority of Beijing universities are located in Haidian district, or more accurately, in Wudaokou (line 13), in the northwest of Beijing. Beijing University and Tsinghua University are two of the oldest and most prestigious universities, and their campuses are also the most interesting. The University of Communications is located in Chaoyang district.
Beijing University (北京大学), 1 Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian district. 海淀区颐和园路1号. Tel 010-6275-1231, http://en.pku.edu.cn/
Tsinghua University (清华大学), Chengfu Road, Haidian district. 海淀区成府路. Tel 010-6278-9437 http://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/eng/index.jsp
People's University (人民大学), 59 Zhongguancun Dajie, Haidian district. 海淀区中关村大街59号. Tel 010-6251-1083, http://english.ruc.edu.cn/en/
University of Communications (中国媒体大学), 1 Dingfuzhuang East Street, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区定福庄东街1号, http://www.cuc.edu.cn/en/index_en.htm
Text: Edouard Beauchemin
Photos: Wang Zhuo
November 2007
