Zhejiang University campus tour: Zijingang, Yuquan and Zhijiang

Zhejiang University, usually shortened to ZJU or Zheda, is spread across Hangzhou, one of the most attractive cities in eastern China. It is very large, covers almost every field, and has not one campus but several, each with a different age and character. For a prospective student that raises a practical question: which one should you go and see? This guide describes the main campuses, what each is known for, and how to fit them into a trip to Hangzhou.

From Qiushi Academy to today

The university traces its origins to Qiushi Academy, founded in Hangzhou in 1897, which makes it one of the oldest modern institutions of higher education in China. Qiushi means "seeking truth", and the phrase remains at the heart of the university's motto.

Two later episodes shaped it. During the war with Japan the university left Hangzhou and moved west in stages, teaching as it went, until it settled for several years in the province of Guizhou. Its president through that period, the meteorologist Chu Kochen, is still the figure most associated with the university, and you will see his statue on more than one campus. Then, in 1998, four separate universities in Hangzhou that shared those roots were merged into the present Zhejiang University, which is why it has so many sites.

Which campus to see

Zijingang: the main campus, in the north-west of the city. Most undergraduates start here.
Yuquan: the older main campus near West Lake, strong in engineering.
Zhijiang: a small historic campus above the Qiantang River, home to the law school.
Xixi and Huajiachi: smaller city campuses inherited from the merged universities.

There is also an International Campus in Haining, about an hour from Hangzhou, where joint programmes with overseas universities are taught.

Zijingang: water and wide spaces

Zijingang opened in 2002 and feels like a new town. Teaching buildings, libraries, canteens and residence blocks are arranged around a chain of lakes and a strip of preserved wetland, and the distances are large enough that almost everyone cycles. This is where first-year life happens: big lecture halls, student clubs, sports fields and the main library.

Two places are worth seeking out. On the newer side of the campus, a group of traditional-style halls and a ceremonial gateway carry the name of Qiushi Academy, a reminder of where the university began. Nearby, the Museum of Art and Archaeology shows Chinese art in a set of low, modern galleries, and is one of the few university buildings designed with outside visitors in mind.

Yuquan: the classic campus

Yuquan was the university's main campus for the second half of the twentieth century, and many engineering departments are still here. It sits at the foot of wooded hills a short distance north-west of West Lake. A straight avenue leads from the main gate to a broad lawn, where a tall statue of Mao Zedong stands in front of the library with the hills behind: the image most graduates carry of the place.

The teaching buildings, numbered rather than named, date largely from the 1950s onward and are shaded by old trees. Paths at the back of campus lead up into the hills.

Zhijiang: red brick above the river

The most picturesque campus is the smallest. Zhijiang stands on a hillside above the Qiantang River, close to the Six Harmonies Pagoda. Its red-brick halls, chapel and bell tower date from the first decades of the twentieth century, when this was Hangchow University, a college founded by American missionaries. The buildings are a protected heritage site, and today they house the university's law school.

Because it is small and still in daily use, access can be restricted; even from the gate and the lower lawn, the bell tower is worth the trip.

Hangzhou and West Lake

Part of the appeal of studying here is the city. West Lake, a short ride from Yuquan, is ringed by causeways, pagodas, temples and tea-growing hills, and students use it the way others use a city park. Hangzhou is also a centre of China's technology industry, which shapes internships and careers for many graduates.

Student life

Almost all students live on campus in university residences, as is usual in China, and eat in the canteens, which are numerous and inexpensive. Undergraduates typically spend their first years at Zijingang, and some move to another campus later, depending on their subject. Most degree programmes are taught in Chinese; the university also offers some programmes in English and Chinese-language courses for international students.

Visiting

Chinese universities often control entry at the gates, and the arrangements for visitors (identity documents, advance reservation, opening times, which gates are open) change. Don't assume you can simply walk in: check the university's official website, or ask the admissions or international office, before you go. The museum publishes its own opening days.

Getting there and around

To Hangzhou: high-speed trains link Hangzhou with Shanghai in about an hour, and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport has domestic and international flights.
To Zijingang: the Hangzhou Metro has a station named after the campus; check a current map for the line and exit.
To Yuquan: it is in the western part of the central city, reached by metro, bus or a short taxi ride from West Lake's north shore.
To Zhijiang: it is south of West Lake on the riverside road; a taxi or ride-hailing car is simplest.
Between campuses: allow 30 to 45 minutes by car between any two, more at rush hour.

Where families usually stay

By West Lake (the Hubin area): the classic choice for visitors, central for sightseeing and a short ride from Yuquan.
Huanglong and Wulin: business districts between the lake and the northern campuses, with many hotels.
Near Zijingang and the Xixi Wetland: practical if your visit is centred on the main campus, and quieter.

Practical tips

Spring and autumn are the best seasons; summers are hot and humid.
Carry your passport, as it may be needed at campus gates and is required for train tickets.
Mobile payment is the norm in China; check in advance how you will pay for transport and meals.
Visiting more than one university? Shanghai is close: see our Fudan University campus tour and Shanghai Jiao Tong University campus tour. In Beijing, see Peking University and Tsinghua University.

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Cover photo: Zhang Gang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons