Tsinghua University and Peking University, as two of China's top institutions of higher education, combine more than a century of history with vibrant modern academic life and are popular destinations for visitors from China and abroad. Tsinghua is a dream university for countless students—at the very least, it is worth going inside for a look around.
How to Make a Reservation to Enter the Campus?
Compared with Peking University, Tsinghua is relatively more open to visitors. Except for Mondays, visits can be reserved on other days.
There are also several ways to reserve campus entry:
Option 1: Reserve a Campus Visit
Search for “Visit Tsinghua” on WeChat Official Accounts or Mini Programs and make a real-name reservation using your ID card. There are two reservation methods.
Lottery Reservation:For weekday visits, apply 2 days in advance; for weekends and public holidays, apply 8 days in advance. Reservations open daily from 17:00 to 21:45, after which you wait for the lottery result.
Instant Reservation:For weekday visits, apply 1 day in advance; for weekends and public holidays, apply 7 days in advance. Reservations open daily from 8:00 to 17:00. If you were unsuccessful in the previous day's lottery, the instant reservation effectively gives you another chance to secure a slot.
Important! There are four entry time slots. Please enter the campus according to your reserved time.
Important! On open days, morning entry closes at 11:00 and afternoon entry closes at 16:00.
Important! Children under 8 do not need a reservation, but they must be accompanied by an adult with a reservation.
Important! Visitors with reservations must enter through the dedicated individual visitor channel on the south side of Tsinghua University's West Gate and scan their ID.
Important! Yuanmingyuan Subway Station is directly opposite Tsinghua University's West Gate. From Exit B or C of Yuanmingyuan Station on Line 4, walk straight for about 500 meters.
Option 2: Campus Visit Quota Through a Tsinghua Contact
If you have a friend who teaches or studies at Tsinghua, they can help reserve a campus visit quota for relatives and friends.
This option is generally less restricted and can usually be booked at any time. Once reserved, there is no specific time slot, and you can scan your ID to enter throughout the day.
Although entry is still through Tsinghua University's West Gate, you do not need to queue with visitors using the public reservation channel. Simply use the faculty-and-student entrance at the West Gate and scan your ID.
Option 3: Paid Entry Through a Performance Ticket
Search for Tsinghua University's New Tsinghua Xuetang on WeChat Official Accounts and purchase a performance ticket.
Performances may be held at either New Tsinghua Xuetang or Mong Man Wai Concert Hall.
After non-campus visitors purchase a performance ticket, they can register their campus entry through “My Orders.” Starting 2 hours before the event, enter through the Southeast Gate or South Gate by scanning the ID used for registration.
Performance times are not fixed and ticket prices vary. However, if there is a performance on a Monday, you may still be able to enter the campus even when regular sightseeing visits are not permitted.
Important: Purchasing an admission ticket to the Tsinghua University Art Museum does not grant access to the main Tsinghua University campus. The museum and campus are relatively separate and access is monitored, so keep this in mind.
There are also other unconventional ways to enter—feel free to explore them on your own!
Best Route for Exploring Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University's campus is much larger—nearly twice the size of Peking University's. If you are short on time or do not want to walk too much, you can focus only on the western section, where many of Tsinghua's popular photo spots are concentrated.
Cycling is recommended for exploring Tsinghua University. However, the area around the Jinchunyuan Ruins has many small attractions and roads that are not very bicycle-friendly. The best approach is to walk through the first half of the route, then switch to cycling after reaching the library.
With the campus visit quota I reserved, I was able to ride a shared bicycle directly into the campus from outside. For reservations made through the Mini Program, it is said that bicycles must be found within the campus area. Shared bikes are scattered around campus, and your chances of finding one are higher near the main cafeteria during meal times.
The recommended route is as follows:
1. Tsinghua University West Gate ~ 2. University Emblem Sculpture ~ 3. Lingling Pavilion ~ 4. Jinchunyuan Ruins ~ 5. Shui Mu Tsing Hua ~ 6. Guyuetang ~ 7. Gongzitang Hall ~ 8. Wen Yiduo Memorial Garden ~ 9. Grand Auditorium ~ 10. Sundial ~ 11. Second School Gate ~ 12. Centennial Tripod ~ 13. Tsinghua Xuetang ~ 14. Library ~ 15. Lovers' Slope ~ 16. New Tsinghua Xuetang ~ 17. Main Building ~ 18. Tsinghua University Art Museum ~ 19. Tsinghua University Southeast Gate
Tsinghua University Photo Spots
Tsinghua University West Gate
Tsinghua University has nine gates. Because the West Gate is the dedicated entrance for visitors with reservations, it seems to have become the campus's most popular gate on social media. Whether or not you manage to reserve a campus visit, you can still take a commemorative photo at the designated visitor photo area beside the archway engraved with the four Chinese characters for “Tsinghua University.”
University Emblem Sculpture
This bronze sculpture of Tsinghua University's emblem was created to commemorate the university's centennial. It stands on a marble base inscribed with the phrase “Unity Across the Nine Regions, Virtue Inspired by the Drum” and bears the university motto, “Self-Discipline and Social Commitment.” The sculpture takes the form of a bronze drum. Bronze drums were important ritual objects of the ancient Luoyue people and are decorated with motifs such as the sun, clouds, birds, and frogs.
Lingling Pavilion
Southwest of Jinchunyuan is a small hill topped by an antique-style viewing pavilion known as “Lingling Pavilion.” It was donated to the university by more than 1,600 alumni from the “Class 00,” who entered Tsinghua in 1965, as a commemorative structure for their alma mater.
The “Class 00” specifically refers to the final group of undergraduate students admitted to Tsinghua before the Cultural Revolution. At the time, Tsinghua's academic system changed from six years to five years, so these students graduated in 1970 together with the cohort that entered in 1964. The 1964 cohort was designated “Class 0,” while the 1965 cohort received the special designation “Class 00.”
Lingling Pavilion is a two-story Chinese classical viewing pavilion with an octagonal plan, double eaves, and a pointed domed roof. Its granite masonry base covers more than 160 square meters and is surrounded by stone railings. The names of the 27 majors represented by the Class 00 graduates are engraved on the base columns.
The pavilion has columns facing eight directions, steps accessible from all four sides, a double-tiered roof, a redwood framework, and white stone railings, creating a grand and imposing appearance. The plaque reading “Lingling Pavilion” was written by renowned Tsinghua calligrapher Jin Denian.
Jinchunyuan Ruins
Jinchunyuan was originally the residence of the future Xianfeng Emperor of the Qing dynasty when he was still a prince. In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), Anglo-French forces invaded Beijing and burned the Old Summer Palace, while Jinchunyuan survived.
During the Tongzhi reign, plans were made to rebuild the Old Summer Palace. Because there was not enough funding to cover the cost of transporting construction materials from Xinjiang, the decision was made to dismantle Jinchunyuan and reuse its stone materials in the restoration of the Old Summer Palace.
After Jinchunyuan was dismantled, the Qing dynasty weakened amid the Taiping Rebellion, and plans to rebuild the Old Summer Palace were shelved. Jinchunyuan subsequently remained a deserted “island” for more than a century.
Once reduced to only a few old stone steles and remnants, the Jinchunyuan area is now a leisure space for Tsinghua students and faculty—a pleasant transformation.
Shui Mu Tsing Hua
Shui Mu Tsing Hua is known as the “garden within the garden” of Tsinghua Garden. Its central feature is a lotus pond beside an elegant historic building. The four characters “Shui Mu Tsing Hua” on the main plaque were written by the Kangxi Emperor.
The name “Shui Mu Tsing Hua” comes from a poem by Xie Hun of the Jin dynasty: “A gentle breeze sweeps through the lush garden; white clouds gather over layered hills; as the sun declines, singing birds assemble; water and trees shine in pure splendor.”
On the central red columns hangs a famous couplet written by Yin Zhaoyong, a jinshi degree holder of the Daoguang reign who later served as Vice Minister of Rites under the Xianfeng, Tongzhi, and Guangxu emperors: “Beyond the railing, mountain scenery changes endlessly through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, forming no ordinary realm; within the window, drifting clouds come and go from east, west, south, and north, truly creating an immortal dwelling.”
Standing in front of the historic building and looking around, you can see the waterfall across the pond, Ziqing Pavilion, and a statue of Zhu Ziqing. Some say this is the lotus pond described by Zhu Ziqing in his famous essay “Moonlight over the Lotus Pond.”
There are no lotus flowers to admire in this season, but pairs of mandarin ducks swim about happily and peacefully.
Guyuetang
There is no sign on the outer courtyard gate of Guyuetang, so it can easily be missed if you are not paying attention. The main hall inside bears a plaque reading “Guyuetang.” It is one of the few surviving courtyard-style historic buildings at Tsinghua with more than 200 years of history and features an ornate hanging-flower gateway.
When first built, it served as a private school for a princely residence. After Tsinghua was established, it became housing for professors in the Department of Chinese Studies, and both Wang Guowei and Zhu Ziqing once lived here. When Tsinghua first admitted female students in 1928, the building was converted into a women's dormitory. Liang Qichao once said that refusing to admit women to Tsinghua would be “going against the course of history.” After the first group of female freshmen moved into Guyuetang, Wang Jianjun wrote a poem: “How many changes before Guyuetang; once gathered here were crowds of talents. Since the ban on women was lifted at the school, blossoms have twice shared the moonlight.”
It is currently used as office space and is not open to visitors.
Gongzitang Hall
Gongzitang Hall, originally known as Gongzidian, was first built in the mid-18th century and served as the main building of Tsinghua Garden before the university was founded. The plaque above the entrance bears the three characters “Tsinghua Garden,” handwritten by the Xianfeng Emperor of the Qing dynasty. This is the original heart of Tsinghua Garden. Viewed from above, its front and rear halls are connected by a short corridor, forming the shape of the Chinese character “gong,” which gives the building its name.
When first constructed, the complex served as a retreat for members of the imperial family and nobility. After the university was founded, it became Tsinghua's earliest administrative office and staff housing. During the university's first decade or so, prominent scholars such as Liang Qichao, Wu Mi, and Ye Gongchao lived in its courtyards. In 1924, Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore also stayed here during his visit to China. In 2005, Gongzitang received the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for Culture Heritage Conservation.
It is now used as offices for Tsinghua University leadership and major administrative departments and is generally not open to tourists.
Wen Yiduo Memorial Garden
Walking from “Shui Mu Tsing Hua” toward the Grand Auditorium, you will see Wenting Pavilion on a small hill west of the auditorium. This traditional hexagonal bell pavilion has existed since the university's early years and was originally used to signal the daily schedule across campus. Wen Yiduo, who once served as head of Tsinghua University's Department of Chinese, was a renowned Chinese poet and scholar. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he witnessed anti-democratic authoritarian politics in China and spoke out strongly against it. He was assassinated in Kunming in 1946. To commemorate Wen Yiduo, who was killed there, the pavilion was named “Wenting.”
In 1986, marking the 40th anniversary of Wen Yiduo's death, Tsinghua faculty and students erected a statue of him below Wenting Pavilion. A black marble wall behind the statue is engraved with his famous words: “A poet's greatest gift is love—love for his country and love for his people.”
Grand Auditorium
The Grand Auditorium was one of the first large-scale buildings constructed after Tsinghua was founded. Modeled after the library at the University of Virginia and designed by American architects H. K. Murphy and R. H. Dana, it combines Romanesque and Greek architectural elements in a classical colonnaded style, following the planning principles of a typical 19th-century American university campus.
The Grand Auditorium witnessed the planning, mobilization, and triumphant returns associated with several anti-imperialist patriotic movements in modern Chinese history. It has also long served as a center for cultural activities among students and faculty, screening films on weekends and hosting many major performances and events.
In 2001, the Tsinghua Grand Auditorium was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level as part of the “Early Buildings of Tsinghua University.”
In front of the Grand Auditorium is a large lawn that appeared as an iconic location in the film “Forever Young.” It was also a place where Song Ke, Gao Xiaosong, and the band Shuimunianhua once played guitars and sang campus folk songs—showing that Tsinghua's science and engineering students have a romantic side too.
Sundial
Located at the southern end of the lawn in front of the Grand Auditorium, this monument was presented to the university by the Class of 1920, including renowned economist Chen Daisun, upon graduation.
The object was originally a relic from the Old Summer Palace. Its upper section is an ancient timekeeping device—a sundial—while the lower section is a marble base. The front is engraved with the Class of 1920 motto “Actions Speak Louder Than Words,” while the back bears “FACTA NON VERBA,” the Latin translation of the same phrase. The two sides are inscribed respectively with “Erected by the Gengshen Class” and “CLASS 1920.”
The sundial is one of the earliest alumni memorials in Tsinghua Garden and has become an iconic monument of Tsinghua University. “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” also became part of Tsinghua's institutional spirit, expressing an attitude toward learning, a way of thinking about research, and an approach to management. It advocates learning through action, exploring through practice, and solving problems through work.
Through the sundial and its symbolism, the monument emphasizes that “action” itself is a core value orientation at Tsinghua, serving as both the foundation and goal of education and as a fundamental path toward fulfilling educational objectives. The spirit of “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” has become deeply embedded in Tsinghua University and is a shared spiritual legacy and character of the Tsinghua community.
Second School Gate
The Second School Gate was Tsinghua's earliest main entrance when the university was first established and is one of the campus's most representative landmarks.
The Second School Gate is an elegant classical three-arch gateway built with gray bricks and white columns. Above the gate are the three characters “Tsinghua Garden” in the handwriting of Natong, a Grand Secretary of the late Qing dynasty. After the campus expanded and a new main gate was built between 1933 and 1934, this original gate became known as the “Second School Gate.” It has witnessed more than a century of changes at the university and the passage of many distinguished scholars and masters.
The Second School Gate was destroyed in the 1960s. The current structure was rebuilt in 1991 with donations from alumni to mark Tsinghua University's 80th anniversary.
Centennial Tripod and University Motto Stone
In March 1970, two Tsinghua University cohorts graduated at the same time: the Class 0 students who entered in 1964 and the Class 00 students who entered in 1965.
The “Tsinghua Centennial Tripod” was donated by the Class 0. It stands at the southeast corner of the lawn in front of the Grand Auditorium, in the center of the small plaza between the former Hydraulic Engineering Building and the former Civil Engineering Building.
Cast in bronze, the “Tsinghua Centennial Tripod” has a dignified antique appearance that blends naturally with the rich cultural atmosphere and historical character of old Tsinghua, becoming the visual centerpiece of the small plaza.
Beside the plaza stands a stone engraved with the university motto. On the back is an explanation of its origin: “In the winter of 1914, Mr. Liang Qichao delivered a lecture on the gentleman, centered on the judgments of the Qian and Kun hexagrams in the Book of Changes, encouraging Tsinghua students to strive for self-improvement. These words were later adopted as the university motto.”
Tsinghua Xuetang
Built in 1909, Tsinghua Xuetang was one of the main buildings during the university's early years and has a total floor area of 4,650 square meters. In 1925, Tsinghua established the Institute of Chinese Studies here. The renowned “Four Great Tutors”—Liang Qichao, Wang Guowei, Chen Yinke, and Zhao Yuanren—along with famous archaeologist Li Ji, scholar Wu Mi, and others gathered here, helping shape Tsinghua University's educational tradition of integrating Chinese and Western learning and connecting the ancient with the modern.
Library
Tsinghua University Library was among the first institutions approved by the State Council as National Key Protection Units for Ancient Books.
In 1912, Tsinghua Xuetang was reorganized as Tsinghua School, and a small library room was formally established under the name Tsinghua School Reading Room. In March 1919, a dedicated library building—the eastern section of today's Old Library—was completed, and it was renamed Tsinghua School Library. In 1928, it became the National Tsinghua University Library, and in 1949 it was renamed Tsinghua University Library.
Lovers' Slope
Lovers' Slope is located in the central part of Tsinghua University on the west bank of the Wanquan River, southwest of the library. It features lawns, trees, flowerbeds, and stone pavilions. Because couples often came here in pairs for evening walks on midsummer nights, the area became known as “Lovers' Slope.” With its pleasant surroundings, it is also a popular place for students to read, study, walk, and exercise.
New Tsinghua Xuetang
New Tsinghua Xuetang is an important cultural facility built by Tsinghua University to commemorate its centennial. Alumni donated US$32 million for the project. It was designed under the leadership of Academician Li Daozeng of Tsinghua's School of Architecture, named by Premier Zhu Rongji, completed in April 2011, and officially opened in April 2012.
The auditorium includes stalls seating and three balcony levels with a total of 2,011 seats. The stage is 18 meters high and 11.5 meters wide, with side stages on both sides, while the orchestra pit can accommodate an ensemble of around 100 musicians.
New Tsinghua Xuetang sells tickets to the public. After purchasing tickets through its WeChat Official Account, visitors can register campus access through their order and enter through the Southeast Gate or South Gate by scanning their ID up to two hours before the performance. This allows you to enjoy a show and visit the Tsinghua campus at the same time.
Main Building
Completed in May 1966, the Main Building has a total floor area of nearly 80,000 square meters and was designed by Tsinghua faculty and students themselves. It consists of the West Main Building, East Main Building, and Central Main Building, connected into a single complex by four elevated passage buildings.
The Tsinghua Main Building plays an important role in teaching and research and is also a major venue for important university events and the reception of distinguished guests. Political leaders such as U.S. President George W. Bush and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Nobel Prize-winning scholars, and executives of major multinational corporations have all delivered speeches to Tsinghua students and faculty in the Central Main Building.
On both sides of the plaza directly south of the Main Building are the School of Architecture, Technical Science Building, School of Economics and Management, Mingli Building, and other structures extending all the way toward the Southeast Gate, emphasizing the scale and grandeur of the Main Building.
Tsinghua University Art Museum
The Tsinghua University Art Museum officially opened to the public in September 2016. Designed by internationally renowned architect Mario Botta, the museum has a total floor area of 30,000 square meters, including 9,000 square meters of exhibition space. Admission is charged, and tickets must be purchased in advance through the “Tsinghua Art Museum” Mini Program. It is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00.
This is a destination worth visiting as a museum in its own right, not merely a place to stop for a quick photo.
Tsinghua University Southeast Gate
The Southeast Gate faces the magnificent Central Main Building and is finished entirely in granite, with eight tall stone columns.
Outside the gate stands a massive horizontal wall. The front bears the university name “Tsinghua University” in Mao Zedong's calligraphy, while the back displays Tsinghua's motto: “Self-Discipline and Social Commitment.”
Outside the East Gate are institutions and companies such as Tsinghua Science Park and Tsinghua University Press.
What Else Can You Visit Nearby?
Tsinghua University is adjacent to Peking University and is also not far from the Old Summer Palace and the Summer Palace.
Tsinghua University + Peking University can fill an entire day.
Tsinghua University + the Old Summer Palace can fill an entire day.
Tsinghua University + the Summer Palace can fill an entire day.
In fact, Tsinghua University's campus together with the Tsinghua University Art Museum alone can easily fill a full day.
What Can You Eat Nearby?
Campus Cafeterias
We visited during the Spring Festival, when all the cafeterias were closed. At other times, some campus dining facilities are open to visitors and accept mobile payments.
Jiasuo — A Chinese à la carte restaurant near the intersection of Tsinghua Road and Xichun Road. Enter from the West Gate and walk straight along Tsinghua Road for about 500 meters.
Xichunyuan — A Chinese à la carte restaurant on Xichun Road, east of the lotus pond and west of Gongzitang Hall.
Qingqing Beef Noodles — Beef noodles, barbecue, and large-plate chicken with rice. Located near the intersection of Xuetang Road and Zhishan Road, north of Tingtaoyuan.
Qingqing Fast Food — Burgers and fries, often described as Tsinghua's version of KFC. Located near the intersection of Xuetang Road and Zhishan Road, on Level 0 of Qingfenyuan.
Guanchouyuan — Only Qingqing Yonghe on the first floor (halal food) and the third floor (Chinese à la carte dining) are open. Located north of Tsinghua's West Sports Field, with a supermarket and power-bank rental stations underground.
Qingqing Café — A Western-style restaurant located west of Guanchouyuan.
Dufeng Academy — A Western-style restaurant located east of Guanchouyuan.
Leisure Restaurant — A Chinese-Western restaurant located north of Tsinghua Garden, on Basement Level 1 of Taoliyuan.
Qingqing Pizza — Pizza, often described as Tsinghua's version of Pizza Hut. Located north of Tsinghua Garden, on Basement Level 1 of Zijingyuan.
Zhilan Garden — Chinese à la carte dining on the first floor and hot pot on the second floor, located in the northeast corner of Tsinghua Garden.
Yushuyuan — Chinese à la carte dining on the first floor and Korean set meals on the second floor, located in the northeast corner of Tsinghua Garden.
Food Outside the Campus
There are plenty of places to eat around Tsinghua University, and Wudaokou Shopping Center is nearby.
My child wanted to eat at Xiao Diao Li Tang, and I found that the nearest branch was at Raycom Infotech Park in Zhongguancun, so we rode bicycles there. Unexpectedly, we also came across a small art exhibition featuring snake-themed works for the Year of the Snake.
Raycom Infotech Park also has the popular Zhongshuge bookstore, which is worth visiting while you are there.
