Last Friday, a Chinese mother took a photo of her twin sons at Peking University gate, just as I was stepping out of the central library. She told them: "Listen to me carefully, if one of you were to enroll in this college, you’d make my life really meaningful." The twins looked awkwardly at each other. They seemed to know how difficult it is to get into the top university.
Her accent revealed to me that they weren’t local and that they had traveled a long way to visit Peking University campus. I watched on as they headed towards the campus’ lake. The twins looked very excited. This family was one in a thousand families who visit the campus everyday.
If you are a tourist in Beijing and you thought only Forbidden City and the Great Wall were the most attractive tourist places in the capital city, then you are mistaken. The latest additions to tourist routes are the two great centers of learning in China- Peking and Tsinghua universities. The two campuses have become a must-visit for young kids escorted by their guardians visiting the capital from different parts of China. Most travel agents in China have already included these two campuses in their regular itinerary. Although it may cause some inconveniences for the residents of the university, the university administration has taken all precautions to avoid any untoward incidents. Last week Peking University announced it would put a maximum limit of 5,000 visitors per day.
However, I am confused about why thousands of people each day descend on the campuses of the two universities and make them look like public gardens. Was it because the scenic beauty of Weiming Lake at the center of Peking University or the Chinese-style buildings in Tsinghua University? Because in my country, only religious places like temples and shrines get that sort of attention. No single Indian university attracts that many visitors on a daily basis like Peking and Tsinghua do. When asked this question, my Chinese colleague replied that the pilgrimage to the two universities is motivated by their historical role in the struggle for new China, especially during the "May Fourth Movement" in the 1920s. Peking University was one of the main bases for Chinese nationalist to unite the country and fight against Japanese aggression. Chairman Mao Zedong worked in the central library of the university before becoming the paramount leader of the Chinese Communist Party. So did Chen Duxiu, Hu Shi, Cai Yuanpei and many other great revolutionary leaders of that time.
Tsinghua University is also the best school in the country with historical roots. It has just celebrated its 100th anniversary and proudly boasts having the current president and previous premier of the country among its alumni. The admission process to all the universities in China is based on the national college entrance examination, an all-China national-level exam taken after high school. The two universities only accept top scorers for the four-year undergraduate course. Only a lucky thousand can realize their dream each year. Later I came across a slogan in Chinese, "Xuexi shi yizhong xinyang" (Learning is a kind of belief) on most of the public billboards around Peking University. Here was the inspiring slogan for many Chinese kids and even food for thought for adults. I was especially impressed to see the next slogan that read, "Kejiao xingguo" (Rejuvenating the country with science and education)
Then I walked over 50 meters south to a building that is supposed to house one of the largest bookstores in China. Here in a multi-story state-of-the-art building, I could see hundreds of people reading in Chinese and foreign languages. To me it seemed most of them come were from lower middle-class families and perhaps couldn’t afford to buy books, especially ones with foreign copyrights. Generally, books in China are cheaper, except the ones published in English. But again I was amazed to see the number of kids in this book shop.
Nowadays in China, you will find parents from all the country concerned about their child’s education. After class children often go to after school tutorials not only on required courses but also in creative subjects and sports. The more tuition fees their parents can provide the more tutors the kids may have. Each subject requires a separate tutor. It is no wonder that Shanghai students won top place in the latest competition of 65 countries in math, science and reading. Living in China, I can imagine a future for this country and its children.
