Although the modern (Pinyin) spelling for China's capital city is Beijing, Peking University has chosen to retain its old title when writing its name in the Roman alphabet. The university is also known to its staff, students and friends by the pleasant-sounding nickname Bei-Da which is an abbreviation of the Chinese words Beijing and Daxue (pronounced Da-she, meaning university). As on our last visit, we stayed in the Shao Yuan (or overseas visitors guest house) on the campus. Each day on our way to the department we passed groups of students playing tennis and basketball in spite of the sub-zero temperatures.

There are several useful shops and nice restaurants on the campus, so we were able to get our own breakfast and to eat well at lunch time. This is quite a contrast from 1985 when the only place to eat was the canteen in Shao Yuan.

Sport in the cold	The west gate (Xi Men) of Beida
The lake in the Beida campus	Leaving Baojue and Tsunghan's flat

One of the many new buildings	The auditorium/cinema
Central square	Campus bookstalls on Saturday