Weiming Lake at Peking University

Weiming Lake at Peking University

Weiming Lake is the largest artificial lake on the campus of Peking University, located in the central-northern part of the campus. At the southern end of the lake stands the sculpture of a "flipped-tail stone fish," while the center features a lake islet connected to the north bank by a bridge. At the southern tip of the islet is a stone boat. The southern shore of the lake includes the Bell Pavilion, Linhu Xuan (Lakefront Pavilion), the Temple of the Flower Goddess, and the tomb of Edgar Snow, while the eastern shore is home to the Boya Pagoda. It is one of the iconic landscapes of Peking University. Originally supplied by the Wanquan River, the area around Weiming Lake was once part of the Shuchun Garden during the Qing Dynasty. Emperor Qianlong bestowed this garden upon his favored courtier Heshen, who went on to build an extravagant estate featuring 64 pavilions, 357 corridors and pavilions, and over a thousand rooms. After Heshen's downfall and the confiscation of his properties, Shuchun Garden changed hands several times. During the Qing Dynasty, it was the artificial lake within Heshen’s garden, which was an annex of the Old Summer Palace. The stone boat was modeled after the one in the Summer Palace, but its upper structure was later destroyed by fire, leaving only the stone base today. The significance of Weiming Lake to Peking University is akin to that of the Han and Tang dynasties to China. Beyond its inherent beauty, it has come to symbolize a cultural and spiritual icon. Embraced by Weiming North Road and Weiming South Road, a stroll along the eastern side of the lake allows visitors to experience the enchanting charm of Weiming Lake.

The scenery of Weiming Lake at Peking University is breathtaking and has become a symbol of the university’s landscape. However, few know its origin. It is said that during the 10th anniversary celebration of Yenching University, Professor Xie Bingying proposed naming the building "Linhu Xuan," which was immediately met with approval. Professor Qian Mu further suggested naming the unnamed lake in front of the building as "Weiming Lake." Since then, the name has endured. This brings us to the pagoda on the lake. In July 1924, Yenching University urgently needed to construct a water tower to supply water to the entire campus. Someone proposed that, in order to harmonize with the classical architecture surrounding Weiming Lake, the water tower should take the form of an ancient-style pagoda. The divine pairing of lake and pagoda is a stroke of genius at Weiming Lake — forever philosophical, and ever thought-provoking. It can be said that the interplay of lake and tower has become an immortal legend in the scenery of Yenching Campus. The lake and the pagoda have souls — the souls of countless Peking University students, and the very spirit of the university itself.

Address: Central-northern part of Peking University, Haidian District, Beijing

Type: Lake

Recommended visiting time: About 1 hour

Opening hours:

Open all day

Ticket information:

No admission fee required.