Peking University (Beida), one of China's most prestigious
educational institutions, attracts more than just the brightest
minds, so much so that it has had to impose a ban on group visitors
who reportedly disrupt its scholastic serenity.
It is not uncommon to see busloads of parents and grandparents
leading children, even toddlers, around the campus.
But the university has had enough of being a tourist attraction
and has decided to ban all tour groups from the campus from July
27.
The exceptions are individual visitors and groups of high school
students on excursions organized by educational institutions as
long as they secure permission from the university's security
department three days in advance.
Further, visitor numbers will be limited to 5,000 a day.
"But even high school student groups should visit from
8:30-11:30 AM and 12:00 AM-5:00 PM," the security department
said.
According to a notice posted on the university's website over
the weekend, the move is intended to maintain order on campus.
Not surprisingly, the decision has resulted in heated debate.
While tourists feel aggrieved, students of the university have
applauded the ban.
Beida, along with Tsinghua University, another of the country's
premiere institutions, has become a must-see for tourists,
especially for parents who want their children to excel
academically.
Many tour agencies around the country arrange for visits to
universities, which the universities do not charge for.
Tsinghua University has not announced any ban on campus
tourism.
An official from the university's security department told
The First that the biggest concern for Beida is not only
the number of tourists, but also what they do and bring into the
university grounds.
Beida's west gate and the street in front are so crowded with
photo-snapping tourists that there is almost always a traffic jam.
Moreover, vendors peddle T-shirts, drinks and souvenirs on
campus.
"Going through the west gate once, I thought I had walked into a
farmers' market," a Beida student wrote on a BBS Internet message
board.
Teachers and students also complain about the noise caused by
visitors who speak loudly near classrooms.
"Peking University should not become a tourist destination,"
said Tang Jun, a researcher with the Sociology Institute under the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
He added that universities should be open to the public, but
they can refuse groups organized by tour agencies, according to a
Beijing Morning Post report.
The ban has upset many tourists.
"How could Peking University do this? Isn't the university built
by the country and with taxpayers' money? I think it is also very
meaningful for primary school students to visit the campus," said a
man surnamed Cui from southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Gu Haibing, a professor at Renmin University of China, also
opposed the ban.
"Peking University is the university of all Chinese people. It
might want to close its campus to tour groups because it does not
want to pay for the security," Beijing Morning Post quoted
Gu as saying.
But according to Beida's security department, the ban is also
for security reasons, adding that they need to cater for possible
evacuation in the event of an emergency.
"There are many teaching buildings and labs, which are not good
for evacuation," the department said. In addition to the 20,000
teachers, students, staff and tourists who visit the 400-acre
campus every day, there are many more people to evacuate from
Zhongguancun -- dubbed China's Silicon Valley -- and the Summer
Palace, which are not far away. The huge number of tourists could
cause big problems, including environmental damage and traffic
congestions.
"I leave immediately after my lessons," said Ma Rong, dean of
Beida's Sociology Department, adding that the scores of visitors
have badly affected his work.
"Oxford and Cambridge don't have so many tourists. In any case,
this is a university not a park! Peking University is not an
absolutely open university, and the space is not enough; people are
not always well-behaved, and this disturbs university staff and
students. We have to consider local conditions, and not be in such
a hurry to do everything that world-famous universities do."
(China Daily, China.org.cn July 25, 2006)
