(Ecns.cn)--Jam-packed with individuals and group visitors, campuses of China's most prestigious institutions, Peking University (PKU) and Tsinghua University, have now become hot tourist attractions.
Dreaming that one day their children will enter such top universities, parents from all over China have taken their kids to the PKU and Tsinghua campuses to arouse their enthusiasm for study.
The once quiet and clean campuses have since became noisy and messy. To curb this problem, the two universities have imposed limits on the number of outsiders that can visit. From July 9 to mid-August, only 5,000 visitors will be allowed a campus tour at PKU per day; while from July 16 to August 14, Tsinghua can only be toured from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm every day.
As a result of these new restrictions, visitors have to wait a long time to get in. The restrictions have inevitably stirred debates among the public.
Critics pointed out that the universities should shoulder their social responsibilities by being tolerant and open. Others thought that the new policies will protect public resources since "a completely open university is something unrealistic at the present."
Campuses become messy and noisy
Peking University, founded in 1898, is located on the former site of Qing Dynasty royal gardens and it retains traditional Chinese-style landscaping including traditional houses, gardens, pagodas, as well as many notable historical buildings and structures. Tsinghua University, established in 1911, is known throughout China for having one of the most beautiful campuses and was named one of the most beautiful college campuses in the world by Forbes in 2010.
However, overwhelmed with the influx of visitors, clean roads have been covered with garbage and the peaceful campus life is now filled with loud voices.
Cleaners at PKU and Tsinghua have complained that their workload has increased and working times are extended.
Li Quanfu, head of the Environmental Sanitation Department at Tsinghua, said that they have 70 staff cleaning the campus from 4:30 am to 7:00 pm, but still cannot keep it from getting messy. "There are always cigarette butts, pieces of paper, and bottles littered on the ground."
Mr. Li, head of the campus squad at Tsinghua, said that though a team of 100 student volunteers were dispatched to maintain the campus, their burden has not been lightened a bit.
At PKU, visitors can sometimes be seen washing their feet in Weiming Lake or writing graffiti on an antique bell nearby, reported the Beijing News.
According to Mr. Xing, deputy director of the Public Security Department at PKU, "230 security officers and more than 30 student guides have been stationed on campus, but it is still not enough."
"The schools are not scenic spots. We hope the tourist groups can bear that mind, and help to maintain the quietness of the campus," Xing added.
Statistics show that during the summer vacation, Tsinghua receives as many as over 10,000 visitors a day, and PKU more than 6,000.
