Another batch of pictures, this time from the Qinghua University campus. Classes start next week (Sept. 1st) after which I imagine my time to take pictures and write about them will decrease - if there's anything you want to know more about or see pictures of let me know!  Thanks again to everyone for your posts on this blog.

Brief historical note - Qinghua was founded in 1911 with American support using money that China had been forced to pay to the United States as damages for attacks on Westerners during the Boxer Rebellion. The campus is partly built on the site of the old Imperial summer palace and gardens which were destroyed in the 1800's by the British and French, lending both scenic beauty and some historical baggage to the surroundings. It's about fifteen minutes by cab without heavy traffic to the center of Beijing at Tiananmen Square. Qinghua's tradition since the People's Republic was established in 1949 has been as a premiere science and technology university, but today it is comprehensive with schools of management, law, humanities etc. The enrollment is around 31,000 - compare to about 39,000 at Michigan. Hu Jintao, the current President of the PRC, is himself a Qinghua graduate.

With all that said, on to the pictures!

My dorm is small but comfortable, with air conditioning, a private bathroom and a very small kitchen space with sink and microwave. I'll be adding a fridge this week.

The view from my window, northeast across the elevated rail tracks and some as yet undeveloped real estate towards another district of tall buildings in the distance.

My dorm from outside. No worse aesthetically than South Quad I suppose.

The basketball courts right outside our buildings. These are packed with Chinese in the evenings, though I haven't yet played any thunder and lightning with them.

Heading from my dorm area, which is in the far northeast corner of campus, towards dorms for Chinese students and the center of campus.

A pretty typical tree-lined road through Qinghua.

One of the beautiful canals that runs through the old part of campus. 

A fountain in front of the library with the Grand Auditorium (modeled after that of the University of Illinois) in the background.

Another canal shot after the sun had come out.

Proving that American universities have no monopoly on strange modernist sculpture (though nothing will ever compare to the UMMA mushroom.)

The Grand Auditorium from across the original quad at the center of campus. Noone walks across the quads here at Qinghua, so it's not much like the Diag.

Qinghua hosted some of the Olympic training and event facilities. These blue-shirted volunteers are still here well after the Games are over - presumably until the Paralympics are over as well.

A bit of a "back alley." Just to balance the fountains and canals. It's a real place.

Cyclists heading south on the main boulevard into campus.  The blue line is the Olympic marathon line followed by runners this year.

Looking straight ahead out of the Qinghua south gate and into the concrete canyons of Beijing.