The University of Weifang

I've been meaning to show you all what this beautiful campus looks like, but I've been super busy with work.  I think I finally have the time to give you a makeshift virtual campus tour, if you will.  I live in a neighbourhood  just next to campus called Wei da Chuei war which means "the gardens" because our neighbourhood is so nice and green.  It's especially pretty right now in the fall, when all the leaves on the trees are showing their colours.  The Gardens is actually a rather large area of town, housing most university employees and their families.  I feel quite privileged because myself and the other foreigners live in a complex known to all as the "foreign experts building"- I don't think I'm really an expert at anything but if that's how they'd like to call it I'm fine with it haha.  Please note these photos were taken about a month ago so the fall colours aren't really showing yet.

So this photo is where you cross the street to get to the south entrance to campus.  All entrances into campus are guarded by well... guards.  They are there to ensure the students are safe from any intruders since they live on campus after all.  They are there 24 hours a day, seven days a week to oversee all traffic coming in and out of the property.  You can see a "gate" of some kind in the center of the picture, that's where they sit.  Beyond it lies a rather large campus, there are many many buildings.  I would say the campus is almost as large as UBC.  It takes about twelve minutes to walk across campus at a normal speed whereas it can take a full fifteen minutes to run across the UBC campus so that should give you an idea.

At the center of campus lies this interesting statue, among other symbolic pieces.  This one is called "The Flaming Keys of Knowledge".  I assume these pieces are meant to motivate students and demonstrate how revered this place has become.  I have to say, though, I sometimes walk around this place with a real sense of awe as you'll see from the photos below.

The Flaming Keys of Knowledge from a different angle.

Near the flaming keys is a rather large artificial lake with a bridge and pagoda.  Very peaceful and tranquil.  There's another bridge behind at the other end of campus.

A better look into campus at the south end of campus.

The pathway that takes you from the main road through my neighbourhood and to my apartment building.  This pathway is really nice to walk through when it's sunny out and also at night because it gets so dark.  That sounds like a possible turn off to some but the city can be so bright and artificial at night so it's really nice to walk through a real dark treed path every once in a while.  The neighbourhood is also guarded at all entrances 24 hours/day, 7 days/week so I try to wave hello to the guards as I walk by every morning.  On the south (the opposite) end of my neighbourhood and a short stroll down the end of the block there is a Jia Le Jia or grocery store which is nice.  There are also grocery stores or convenience stores at the end of the path and just to the right for all our needs.  There is a kindergarten day care center just to the left of those trees in there.  Sometimes we are walking and we can hear kids music and see them playing.  How cute.  A woman sometimes drops by with a kind of mobile cart where she'll sell quail eggs on a stick.  She's got a machine with special holes that she cracks the eggs into, 5 in a straight line.  She places a stick through the holes which heat up and cook the eggs.  When they're finished, the kids and parents buy them like hotcakes. We love them too, and for 5 quai you can get 2 skewers of eggs.  She'll even spice your skewer up for you with ketchup or strawberry sauce or chilies or herbs.  MMM so good I had some tonight. 

On the other side of the pagoda is "Ambition Mountain", a rather large pile of rocks.  Interesting concept.