北京师范大学辅仁郊区
Beijing Normal University Furen campus
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I'm teaching a few classes at this beautiful institution this semester. The campus itself has an incredible history: it was part of a massive mansion built in the mid 18th century by a possibly corrupt minister named He Shen. He was later executed and the entire mansion was passed amongst royal family until it was finally bequeathed nearly one hundred years later to Prince Gong, the then emperor's brother.
In 1921, part of the compound was bought by the Catholic Church and made into Furen Catholic University. During the cultural Revolution it became, of all things, an air conditioning factory. (If you look carefully, you'll notice rubbed out slogans exalting Mao painted on the facade.
Now Fu Ren campus is completely seperated from Prince Gong's mansion, which is still mostly intact and protected. The campus is shabby, at best, but glimmers of it's past glory can be seen.
Anyway, my students are fun and have a high English level! Looking forward to the semester.
More pictures...
A restored, but unused, building facing a sparse rock garden.
A pretty pavilion set amongst a garden.
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