At the moment, as you know, I’m studying at the SouthWest University of Ethnic Nationalities in Chengdu, West China. A great title, but for me it’s just a way to learn the Chinese language. This university is specialized in faculties that teach about all the national minorities in China of which there are more than 50 officially recognized. Not only the minorities’ language is being studied but also its culture, the literature (if present) etc. On a regular basis you can find, on campus, buses lined up to transport students from one of the faculties to the region where the minorities being studied live. Sechuan, the province of which Chengdu is the capital, is home to more than 40 of these minorities.
We also see, on a regular basis, on campus clusters of people dressed up in traditional clothing.

It is a small, specialized university with about 2000 students of which approximately 100 students are foreigners. Almost all students live on campus, except for a large portion of the foreigners. In the first place, this is cheaper but in the second place, almost all students are from other cities and villages. It is a large area with in the center, the main buildings and the smaller sports fields like a field with 28 table tennis tables, a tennis court, 2 squash courts, basketball fields etc. This is all surrounded by the faculty buildings, with everything surrounded by trees and a lot of green. In the middle you can find a water garden with fountains and ponds. There also is a square with some kind of food court, one for students, one for teachers and one for Muslims. Foreigners have access to all three restaurants. This in turn is surrounded by all the living quarters. All of the foreigners not living in the city live in the newest building. Beautiful apartments with all the accommodations you could wish for. The Chinese students live in the old Chinese buildings that are still in use, with 4 persons in one room in which you’ll find 2 bunk beds, 4 cabinets and a table and chair: very Spartan.

Located on one side of the complex are the soccer field and the hockey fields. The soccer field has real bleachers and games are being played on a regular basis. Located on the other side is the library with a large pond with lotus flowers and a garden with curved pathways and benches. Nice for the younger people in the evening.

The whole area is being used as sort of a recreation park for the people who live around it. The whole complex is surrounded by a large wall or the backside of the buildings. The main entrance has an impressive gate with security and on the backside there is another gate (the so-called West gate), also with security. Security is present all the time in the whole area, you just don’t really notice it. The complex is located in the center of the city, along the first ring road, which is very busy. Chengdu is home to two more large universities.

The education for all students follows a strict schedule, which results in all buildings and faculties following the same time schedule. I begin every morning at 9 AM when a large electric bell sounds over the whole area (if the guy, who is responsible for ringing the bell, didn’t fall asleep). Other faculties have already been busy for the last hour. At 10:50 AM the bell sounds again and lessons everywhere come to a halt. This means that buildings everywhere empty out since we’ll have a 15 minute break. You can understand the mass of people moving around. One has to go quickly to the food court, the other to his room, yet another to a different building etc. etc. 15 Minutes later the bell sounds again and lessons will start again. 45 Minutes later the whole scenario happens all over again. At noon all buildings empty out for lunch. I follow this pattern five days a week.

On Wednesday (September 29^th) all students were expected to show up in the large reception hall of the Wan Han Hotel, which is located a bit further down the road. A Western buffet was served and there was a dance and music show. It was a big party and everything was very well taken care of. This was done to welcome all students and to celebrate the mid-fall-festival/moon festival. This used to be celebrated on August 15^th but nowadays the celebration is done at the same time as the National Vacation week, which is held to celebrate the beginning of the China Republic as it exists today. 
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The cities largest university is called “SICHUAN UNIVERSITY”. This university is spread out over three locations, has its own bus company, a lot of living compounds etc. etc. The third campus, (Jiang'an) located in one of the many suburbs of the city, opened last year. It has a cinema, shopping street, supermarket, event hall, sport complex, snack bars and restaurants. It forms a complete city within a city with parks and bus stations for its own bus company. Every ten minutes a bus departs to the other locations. More than 90% of the students live on one of the campuses. A few numbers: more than 70,000 students, 11,500 staff of which more than 1,000 professors, 3 campuses with a total area of 5 square kilometer (about 2 square miles).