Peking University’s largest club—the Mountain Eagle Club—has become the most formidable civilian mountaineering organization on the mainland. Established in 1989, it is the first student club on the mainland primarily focused on mountaineering and rock climbing.
In the Taiwanese film Blue Gate Crossing, Chen Bolin, who plays Zhang Shihao, chases after Gwei Lun-mei’s character, A-Meng, and shouts: “My name is Zhang Shihao, I’m a Scorpio, blood type O, I’m on the swimming team, in the guitar club. I’m pretty great, you know!”
The “swimming team” and “guitar club,” symbols of youthful vigor, are classic highlights of university memories. In Taiwan, due to academic pressures, few high school students join clubs. But in university, to pursue interests, broaden horizons, make friends, and develop skills, almost everyone joins at least one club. The same goes for students on the mainland. As early as 2005, 59.7% of university students on the mainland participated in campus clubs, with an average of 1.8 clubs per student.
Too Many Clubs, Freshmen Are Spoilt for Choice
At universities on the mainland, the annual club recruitment season usually takes place in October, right after the freshmen finish their military training. To attract new members and boost their popularity, clubs often stage a spectacular “Battle of the Clubs.”
Different clubs offer different kinds of training and growth opportunities. With so many clubs to choose from, freshmen are often spoilt for choice, finding it hard to decide which ones to join. Just in Beijing’s universities alone, as of January 2008, there were 3,506 officially registered student clubs, with 279,000 registered student members.
Peking University’s May Fourth Literature Society is the oldest and most influential literary club at the university. Founded in 1956, generations of poets with shared ideals have gathered here, collectively forming a living history of modern Chinese poetry. The renowned modern poem Facing the Sea with Spring Blossoms was written by Haizi, a member of the May Fourth Literature Society. The club’s annual poetry festival transforms Peking University in spring into a “poetry-filled Peking University.”
Today, Peking University’s largest club—the Mountain Eagle Club—has become the most formidable civilian mountaineering group on the mainland. Established in 1989, it is the first student club on the mainland primarily focused on mountaineering and rock climbing. In addition, the club publishes a professional journal called Mountain Friends.
Peking University’s Mountain Eagle Club: The Largest Mountaineering Group
The Mountain Eagle Club recruits students who love mountaineering and nature every year. Members undergo physical training every Tuesday and Thursday evening at the school’s May Fourth Stadium. When weather permits, there is also a weekly outdoor activity, including mountaineering, rock climbing, camping, and hiking. At the end of each fall semester, the club organizes an annual winter training session in a snowy, icy location, focusing on ice climbing and cross-country skiing.
As of 2009, the Mountain Eagle Club’s mountaineering team had trained 11 national first-class mountaineers and many second- and third-class mountaineers. In 1998, during Peking University’s centennial celebration, the club’s mountaineering team delivered a remarkable gift—three members successfully summited Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest peak at 8,201 meters.
Tsinghua’s “Competitive Mahjong Team” Is Famous
Tsinghua University’s unofficial “Competitive Mahjong Team” once gained fame thanks to Hu Zhiwei, a master’s student from Peking University.
Competitive mahjong differs from traditional mahjong, which is often associated with gambling and relies heavily on luck. It is a highly skill-based variant that minimizes the role of chance, also known as “international mahjong.”
On December 13, 2008, Hu Zhiwei, a master’s student in environmental studies from Peking University, won first place in the global finals of the “2008 Super Cup Competitive Mahjong Championship” held in Macau. This “King of Chinese Mahjong” credited Tsinghua’s mahjong team in an interview. However, Tsinghua University does not officially recognize the existence of such a club, making it an unofficial but highly popular “pseudo-club” on campus. The team has over 20 members, some of whom come from Peking University. The team frequently wins group championships in competitions on the mainland. Hu Zhiwei joined the team through a friend.
Science-Oriented Tsinghua Also Boasts Rich Humanities
Fudan’s Largest Club: The Life Science Society
Fudan University’s pursuit of science is no less strong than its reputation for the humanities. The Life Science Society, founded in 1989 with the mission to “understand life, love life, and care for life,” is currently the university’s largest academic club. Over the past 15 years, it has grown to include more than 800 members across 26 departments. The society publishes a monthly journal, Life Science, and has also established its own website.
The Life Science Society organizes a variety of activities: hosting Discovery Life Theater and Life Forums, promoting science education, exhibiting rare wildlife specimens, and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the discovery of DNA. For hot topics in the field of life sciences, the society invites frontline professors and academics to give lectures and provide answers.
Tongji University’s Auto Enthusiast Association Excels in Promotion
The Automobile Enthusiasts Association at Tongji University in Shanghai is one of the earliest automotive-themed clubs in the city. Founded in 1993, it now has over 500 members. Each year, some core members join the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in the United States. In 2005, the association also established a long-term partnership with DaimlerChrysler, the world’s second-largest car manufacturer.
Members of the association enjoy many perks, such as being among the first to attend lectures by renowned car experts and receiving discounted tickets to major auto shows and model purchases.
The strength of this association lies in its promotional prowess. It’s said that whenever the club has a new event, not a single campus media outlet is left out. Even class monitors receive event updates, and dormitories get invitations and event plans. Posters for their activities have even been spotted at universities in other provinces, showcasing the club’s exceptional marketing skills.
A Hub for Campus and Beyond
In addition, there are specialized student clubs in Shanghai. Examples include the Stock Research Club and Real Estate Association at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and the Financial Investment Research Association at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Among them, the Stock Research Club at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics hosted a simulated stock trading competition in 2007, attracting nearly 4,000 students from 17 Shanghai universities.
Although university campuses are often called ivory towers, the tides of social change still reach their gates, and clubs serve as a bridge between the campus and the outside world. Through different clubs, students gain varied experiences and insights. Ultimately, some find friendship, others savor youth, and some discover their life’s direction. Even some students, through club involvement, gain valuable social experience and step onto the broader stage of society.