An afternoon at People's University of China

It happens sometimes that the clouds/fog/smog/whatever-it-is in this city breaks formation and reveals to us the deep, penetrative blue of an endless sky. We are not often privy to this sight, so excuse me for sounding as I do. Worries are tossed aside and time slows down: you simply exist.

I've said this before but it bears repeating: on a clear day, Beijing is gorgeous and truly world-class, as defined by eliciting happiness.

I took a stroll through the charming campus of People's University to commemorate the occasion.







People's University, i.e. Renmin University of China (中国人民大学), i.e. Renda (RUC), was founded in 1937 amid the Sino-Japanese War. It focuses on humanities and the social sciences, often hosting international scholars (including my friend Michael Chaitkin, from Stanford, who has a tag on this blog) and guest speakers, and is just a peg below the more internationally renowned Peking University (Beida) (but don't tell Renda's students that).

More pictures:





Practicing tennis against the side of Shiji Gymnasium.

Yes, the Beijing Olympics graced this campus.



Mingde building, which houses the schools of law, economics, international studies and maybe something else.

Pickup bball.