I've been to many places out of town, and apart from seeing the sights and monuments, one of my favorite places to visit is the local university campus. Hunan University under Yuelu Mountain, Harbin Institute of Technology, Soochow University and Wuhan University, which are picturesque, have all left my footprints and figures. Although these institutions of higher learning are extraordinarily famous in China and abroad, my favorite is Peking University, China's top university.
After the company returned to Zhongguancun in October this year, I often visited the Peking University campus in the early morning before going to work. Peking University, like a book that can never be read, its profound connotation, its historical evolution, its cultural landscape, and its architectural style make me linger every time I go.
The scenery of the unnamed lake is beautiful
Enter the west gate of Peking University, bypass a glazed tile building-office building, and a pool of clear lake water will appear in front of you, which is the famous unnamed lake and the center of Peking University's scenery. Climbing to the island in the center of the lake is dizzying and pleasant. Under the autumn sun, the breeze makes sparkling ripples in the lake, and the fish in the lake play freely in the water. By the sparkling lake, a stone boat made of bluestone lies quietly.
On the shore of the lake, willows are nestled, green pines and verdant green, green grass, and strange rocks. Walking along the shores of the unnamed lake gives the impression that we have entered the royal gardens not on the university campus. In fact, it is not surprising that the Yan Garden of Peking University is itself a famous garden in Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Walking around the Peking University campus, various tower pines, cedars and ginkgo trees can be seen. According to the data, there are more than 500 kinds of trees on campus, including more than 300 ancient trees and 30 trees over 300 years old, and all flower species and tree species in Beijing can be found here. The beautiful natural ecology provides a good living environment for birds, on the branches of Peking University, on the grass, next to the teaching building, on the shore of the unnamed lake... Flocks of magpies and other birds can be seen everywhere, with grass and warblers flying and birds singing.
In the southeast corner of the lake, an ancient pagoda named "Boya Tower" stands on the shore of the lake, and the reflection of the tower looms in the water. The ancient tower has thirteen floors and is thirty-seven meters high. Very well designed. This ancient pagoda is originally a water tower. At that time, it was proposed that an ancient tower-style water tower should be built in the classical complex of Yanyuan to harmonize it with the scenery of the unnamed lake. Today, a controversial proposal at the time has become a classic among China's highest universities. The shadow of the lake light tower and the weeping willow strange rocks make tourists linger. Praise.
On the small earthen slope on the south shore of the unnamed lake, there is a beautiful bell pavilion. The colorful paintings on the bell pavilion are brightly colored, and the characters in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Tale of the West Wing" are drawn vividly. The ancient bells inside the pavilion are extremely exquisitely made, and the lower part of the bell body is carved with the rough sea and the rising sun gushing out from the sea. The upper part of the bell body is twelve pairs of dancing rolling dragon play beads. On the body of the bell are written in Manchu and Chinese: "Great Qing State Bingshen Year and Moon System". The bell body is engraved with a pattern of eight trigrams, and there are also Manchu and Chinese characters that read: "The Great Qing Kingdom Bingshen Year and the Moon."
Walking by the lake, the small bridge leading to the shore can also be reflected, and its shade and tranquility constitute the unique scenery of Peking University. I walked along the shore of the lake, and roughly calculated, there were more than a dozen bridges of various sizes, such as arch bridges and plate bridges, some of which were exquisite and complex, some simple and clear, and some were even where a stone slab was built. On the small river near the northwest corner of Beida, 7 or 8 small bridges of different forms have been built side by side, and they are very densely arranged, and there is a small bridge between about a few meters. This also constitutes a feature of Peking University.
There are many relics in the Old Summer Palace
A few years ago, I went to the Old Summer Palace, but all I saw was the ruins of the broken wall, a ruin. The once incomparably brilliant "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens" was destroyed by the British and French forces. At that time, I thought, the invaders snatched away the jewelry and jade; The palace buildings were burned, and where did the stone carvings that could not be moved and burned go? And today at Peking University, I unexpectedly found many of them.
The two stone lions in front of the west gate of Beida are one of the two pairs of stone lions that survived the disaster in the Old Summer Palace. They are intricately carved and majestic, and faithfully guard the gate. When you walk into the campus, you can see two magnificent Chinese watches at a glance, which are the pair of Chinese watches that were originally at the gate of the Anyou Palace in the Old Summer Palace. Although they have suffered many times, they still look so white and majestic under the sunlight and pine trees.
In front of the Peking University office building, there is a pair of majestic golden unicorns, which turned out to be the "guards" of the Old Summer Palace and the "witnesses" who witnessed the fire more than 100 years ago. The flip-tail stonefish in the nearshore water on the west side of the unnamed lake is a spouthole in the large fountain of the Western Building of the Old Summer Palace, and the flip-tailed stonefish is yellow-brown, and it raises its head and tail, like a carp about to jump over the dragon gate.
On the campus of Peking University, there are several priceless Qianlong stone monuments. On the north shore of the unnamed lake, there are four bluestone screens, each of which is a scene of its own and connected into one, which are two couplets inscribed by Qianlong Imperial Pen, although they have been beaten by wind and rain for hundreds of years, they are still clearly distinguishable. These four bluestone screens are relics of the Old Summer Palace, and opposite the statue of Mr. Cai Yuanpei, there is a Qianlong poetry stele surrounded by a cloud dragon motif, on which the first seven-word rhythm poem of the Qianlong Emperor is displayed.
The Qianlong Emperor is a famous calligrapher and poet in Chinese history, and his beautiful and vigorous fonts are loved by the world. Although his poetry monuments can be seen in many famous historical sites in China, the difference is that Qianlong's monuments are cherished in various ways, and they are generally placed in rooms or protected by glass covers. At Peking University, we can admire it up close and even touch the monument gently.
New and old buildings compete with each other
The architecture of Peking University is quite distinctive. Entering from the south gate of Beida, we can find that most of the buildings on both sides of the road are in the classical Chinese style, with symmetrical layouts, with cornices and corners, gray walls, crimson pillars and stone bases. These antique buildings appear harmonious and distinctive. But what attracted me more was the large number of modern buildings built by Peking University in recent years.
Walking into the east gate of Beida, there is a wide and straight road in front of you. A group of modern buildings with novel design and unique shape are greeted by the first floor of Shaw and the second floor of Shaw. At the end of this road is the famous Peking University Library. This is the new Peking University Library built on May 4, 1998, on the occasion of the centennial celebration of Peking University, donated 10 million US dollars by Dr. Li Ka-shing, a famous industrialist in Hong Kong. The new building adopts a large roof structure, magnificent, magnificent, inheriting the traditional architectural style of Peking University, with a construction area of 26,700 square meters, plus the area of the old library, the total area of Peking University Library will reach more than 50,000 square meters, which can collect 7 million books, becoming the largest library in Asian universities; the Peking University Centennial Lecture Hall on the south side of the library is also built to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Peking University, which is currently the largest modern multi-functional lecture hall with advanced facilities and complete functions in colleges and universities in China. The architectural design of the Centennial Lecture Hall, staggered, strong texture, with distinctive characteristics of the times, is integrated with the surrounding buildings, complements each other, and achieves a harmonious unity with the campus environment.
Shuttling between the old and new buildings of Peking University, we can strongly feel that its architecture is a style that combines simple elegance with modern grandeur. From the Beida Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art, with its cornices and arches, carved beams and painted buildings, to the small and delicate North and South Pavilions; From the well-conceived and well-layered law building to the elegant and solemn Guanghua School of Management. These buildings inherit the original architectural style of Peking University and reflect the characteristics of teaching and scientific research in the new era. It is an excellent work of architecture.
In addition to my description above, we can also see the bronze busts of Cai Yuanpei and Li Dazhao in the pine and cypress; Surrounded by bluestone and green grass, the tomb of Snow, the author of "Journey to the West", and the tomb of the famous American geologist Greep. You can also admire the Linhuxuan where Peking University President Stuart Leighton lived for many years, as well as various monuments and sculptures.
Of course, what attracts me to Peking University is not only these cultural landscapes, beautiful scenery and historical heritage. What made me feel and motivated was the figure and the sound of sonorous footsteps rushing past me on campus. These young students who are radiant with youthful vitality, everyone's face is full of confident expressions, they are the soul of Peking University, their youthful charm and hard work spirit, casting another beautiful landscape of Peking University.