China's oldest and most prestigious university, founded in 1898, occupies a campus laid out on the grounds of a former Qing imperial garden in the northwest of the city. The heart of it is Weiming Lake, ringed by willows and overlooked by the Boya Pagoda — in fact a disguised water tower — and the older quarters mix traditional Chinese pavilions with the grey-brick halls of the early twentieth century.
The campus is open to strollers when not restricted, and a wander around the lake is a pleasant break from the city's harder edges. Bring a passport, as visitor entry is sometimes controlled at the gates. It anchors the student character of the surrounding Wudaokou district.