• Peking University Campus Life

• Peking University Campus Map

• Peking University Facilities

The Peking University is very impressive. This is a full-fledged international university, with a cultural flare. Landscaped with beautiful gardens and courtyards, the campus is a friendly and comfortable place for international students to practice their Chinese, join in on the many student activities, and make new friends from all over the world . With twenty-four hour security, the campus is a safe place to be, day or night.

The students at Peking University enjoy a rich and vibrant campus life, offering a colourful array of activities for students to participate in.

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Peking University Seminars, Lectures and Festivals

Each year, hundreds of academic seminars and lectures are offered to students. These are also all kinds of festivals, such as science and technology, culture, and sports, forming some of the highlights of the cultural life on campus.

Various other activities like the Scientific and Technological Innovations Week, Enterprising Business Projects Competition, and "Challenger Cup" contest all reflect the students' pioneering spirit and their aptitude to grasp the pulse of the present era.

The appraisal and election of the "Ten Best Scholars" among graduate students and the "Stars of Aspirant Scholars" among undergraduates enliven the scholarly and cultural atmosphere on campus.

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Peking University Student Societies

More than a hundred student societies are found on the campus to cater to the students' varying interests. Many of these groups organize regular events. Some well known events include the "Long March of Charity" organized by the Charity Society, mountain climbing organized by the Eagles Mountaineering Club , and the Poetry Festival organized by the May Fourth Literary Society.

There are also groups related to athletics, literature, dance and theater, symphony, and so forth that students can join. PKU fully supports and encourages an active relationship among and between students and teachers, and as such welcomes full participation from international students as well.

The Students International Communication Association (SICA) , also a student organized society, is devoted specifically to international exchange and communication. SICA organizes activities such as, the International Night to promote understanding, culture, and friendship between Chinese students and international students from different countries.

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The Peking University also offers a full range of facilities to meet students' needs, including:

PKU Learning Facilities

PKU has full facilities, which are modern to meet students' needs. These include state-of-the-art computer-assisted language learning facilities, computer labs with Internet access, libraries and more. All classrooms are air-conditioned and equipped with modern aural comprehension training facilities.

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Centennial Commemorative Hall

Located near the Audio & Video Education Centre, the Hall is often used by teachers and students to hold meetings, give stage performances and show Chinese or English films.

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Recreation Facilities

There are various sports facilities on the PKU campus including a gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, sports field with track, football ground, and dozens of basketball , volleyball, tennis, and badminton courts, which students can use. Pool tables, table tennis and rock climbing practice areas are also available in the Sports Activities Center. Besides these, there are also a couple of Stadiums where events, including sports competition and other performances, are sometimes held.

In front of the foreign student dormitories, there are also badminton, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. PKU facilities are open to all international students, though some facilities, like the swimming pool, require a usage fee. Students can rent all kinds of equipment by presenting their student ID card.

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Banking

The Industrial Commercial Bank of China and the Agricultural Bank of China are both conveniently located on the PKU campus. Off-campus, but close to the PKU are the Bank of China, China Construction Bank, and Bank of Communications.

Business hours are generally from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, Monday to Saturday. These Banks accept credit cards and travelers' cheques, provide deposits, remittance and currency exchange services. The English Pound, German Mark, French Franc, Japanese Yen, Euro, and Canadian, Australian, American, and Hong Kong dollars may be directly deposited into these banks.

You can also exchange currency at some bank locations using the following credit cards: American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Diner's Club, JCB, Million and Federal Card.

Please note that not all ATM machines Beijing accept foreign ATM cards. The ATM machines in major shopping areas, such as Wanfujing and Xidan, will accept most international ATM cards, but the ATM machines located within the PKU campus may not. You may also apply for a domestic ATM card if you have a Chinese bank account.

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Laundry

There are many places on the PKU campus that offer laundry services, from dry cleaning, bulk laundry, to mending and more. There are also coin-operated washing machines inside student dorm buildings and campus laundry mats.

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Medical Care

There is a University hospital located in the northwest area of the campus. Students can see doctors at the hospital with their student cards. The registration fee is 3 RMB for an ordinary case and 5 RMB for an emergency case. Each individual shall pay for his/her own medicine prescription. Extra payment shall be made for inviting doctors for house calls.

Patients suffering from serious illness can go to the Peking University's Third Hospital, the Chinese-Japanese Friendship Hospital or the ISOS Clinic where special outpatient services and wards are provided for foreigners.

The ISOS clinic has a pharmacy that supplies many western drugs and medications. However, it is advised still that you bring an appropriate supply with you during your stay in Beijing.

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Post Office

Students can send and receive packages at the post office located in Shao Yuan's Building Number 7, located within the foreign student dorm area. There is also a larger post office on the PKU campus that handles all kinds of mail services, including selling of stamps and envelopes. Hours of operation are from 10 am to 4 pm Monday through Friday.

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Restaurants and Cafeterias

There are more than a dozen cafeterias and restaurants on the PKU campus that offer a wide variety of cuisine, including Chinese, Western, Korean, Japanese and more. Many eating-places are also within short walking distance from the campus. A meal generally ranges from RMB5 to RMB25 per person depending on what and where you eat.

There are also many restaurants off campus offering Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Western cuisines. The cost of eating at restaurants are generally a little more pricier than eating at school cafeterias, but still very affordable in accordance with western standards. In addition, restaurants have longer service times and have a greater variety of delicious foods to choose from.

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Stores

There is one large supermarket and a number of grocery stores on campus that sell basically everything you will need, from things to eat, drinks, stationery to daily items and other living necessities. Off-campus and within walking distance, there is an array of stores, ranging from all you can think of, including chain grocery stores, computer stores, local shops, music stores, eyeglass shops, to clothing boutiques and more.

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