Peking University

This is a big school in China.

A leader started it a long time ago. It was the first school like this in the land.

Many years later, the school changed its name. It grew much larger. More students came to study there.

One famous student found a way to fight a sickness. Her work helped save many lives.

Today, the school has many buildings and gardens. It is a very special place to learn.

Peking University is a famous school in Beijing, China.

It started in 1898. At that time, it was called the Imperial University of Peking.

It was the first national university in China.

In 1912, the school got a new name. Later, a leader named Cai Yuanpei became president. He wanted the school to be free to think. He brought in many smart teachers.

Under his lead, the school grew very large.

Students at the school also took part in big events. In 1919, students marched to protest a treaty.

This was part of the May Fourth Movement.

Today, the school is very big. It has many schools and many departments. It has many research centers too. One famous person who went there was Tu Youyou. She won a Nobel Prize. She found a way to fight malaria.

The campus has beautiful gardens and lakes. It is a top school in Asia and the world.

Peking University is a famous public school in Beijing, China.

It is a very important place for learning and research. The school is part of many special groups like Project 211 and Project 985. It is also a member of the C9 League. Many people know it because it is one of the top universities in Asia. It helps students learn about many different subjects.

The university has many different parts to help students study. It has eight main faculties, such as Sciences and Engineering. There are also faculties for Humanities and Social Sciences. It includes 55 different schools and departments. The school also has 24 research entities and six hospitals. Students can study 137 different majors for their undergraduate degrees.

The school has a very long and interesting history. It began in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking.

The Guangxu Emperor helped start it with a royal charter. In 1912, the name changed to Peking University. Later, a leader named Cai Yuanpei became president in 1917. He wanted the school to be a place for free thinking.

He brought in many famous teachers to help the school grow.

Students at the school have been part of big moments in history. In 1919, students marched to protest the Treaty of Versailles.

This event is known as the May Fourth Movement. During World War Two, the staff moved to Kunming. They helped start the National Southwestern Associated University there. One very famous person who studied here was Tu Youyou.

She won a Nobel Prize in 2015 for her work on malaria.

The campus itself is a beautiful place to visit. It sits on the old site of imperial gardens.

You can see traditional Chinese houses and pagodas there. There is also a lovely place called Weiming Lake. The university has many museums with very old objects. These include jewelry and pottery from thousands of years ago.

It is a place where the past and the future meet.

Peking University, often called PKU, is a major public research university located in Haidian, Beijing, China.

It is a central institution in the Chinese education system. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. It belongs to several prestigious groups, including Project 211 and Project 985. It is also part of the Double First-Class Construction initiative. Furthermore, PKU is a member of the C9 League, a group of top universities in China.

The university operates through a complex system of academic divisions. It is organized into eight main faculties. These are Sciences, Informatics, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Management, Interdisciplinary, and Health Science. Within these faculties, there are 55 distinct schools and departments. The institution also manages 24 research entities and six affiliated hospitals. For students, this means a massive range of study options. There are 137 undergraduate majors, 59 Master's programs, and 59 doctoral programs available.

The history of the university began in the late 19th century. In 1896, Minister Li Duanfen proposed creating a university in the capital. Following the Sino-Japanese War, intellectuals like Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao called for educational reforms. On June 11, 1898, the Guangxu Emperor authorized the creation of the Imperial University of Peking. This was done as part of the Hundred Days' Reform. The university was formally established on July 3, 1898, through a royal charter.

In its earliest days, it served as China's first national university. It also acted as the highest administrative authority for education in the country. The first president was William Alexander Parsons Martin. However, the conservative Empress Dowager Cixi seized power in September 1898. This caused many reforms to be abolished. The university survived but had a reduced scope. It opened on December 31 with only 160 students.

Significant changes occurred during the early 20th century. In May 1912, the government of the Republic of China renamed it Peking University. Later, in 1919, it was called the National University of Peking. A major turning point came in 1917 when Cai Yuanpei became president. Cai was inspired by the German model of academic freedom. He introduced faculty governance and democratic management. Under his leadership, the university grew to 14 departments and over 2,000 students. He recruited a diverse faculty. This included progressive figures like Hu Shih and Lu Xun, as well as conservatives like Gu Hongming.

Peking University students have played key roles in national movements. On May 4, 1919, students learned about the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty planned to give Germany's rights in Shandong province to Japan. Students organized an assembly and later marched to Tiananmen. They demanded that the government refuse to sign the treaty. They also called for the resignation of three specific officials. These officials were Cao Rulin, Zhang Zongxiang, and Lu Zongyu.

The protests led to strikes and boycotts across China. Eventually, the government released the arrested students and fired the officials. During World War Two, the university faced further disruption. Staff from PKU joined Tsinghua and Nankai universities in Kunming. Together, they formed the National Southwestern Associated University to continue their work.

In the modern era, the university has achieved global recognition. In 2015, alumna Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She discovered artemisinin, which helps fight malaria and has saved millions of lives. The university continues to expand its reach through new centers and campuses. It established an Oxford Campus in 2017. It also created the Sino-Russian Mathematics Center in 2020. In 2021, it opened the Changping campus and the School of Integrated Circuits. In 2025, the university further reorganized by splitting the Faculty of Information and Engineering into two separate faculties.

The physical campus is a blend of history and nature. It sits on the former site of Qing dynasty imperial gardens. The landscape includes traditional houses, gardens, and pagodas. The West Gate is a famous symbol of the campus.

Weiming Lake is a major feature in the north. The university also houses several museums. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology displays ancient items. These include ritual pottery and jewelry from the Warring States period. Today, the university remains a global leader. In 2025, the QS Asia University Rankings placed it at the top of all Asian universities. It also ranks among the best in the world for teaching and research.