Special | A Bite of PKU

Today is the beginning of Minor Snow, or Xiaoxue (小雪), the 20th of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar! During this time, northwest winds blow across China, with the temperature in many areas falling below zero.

Fall in Beijing has come to a close, and while the weather is getting colder, there is still no snow in sight. So, how does a Pekinger get through such chilly days? Why, warming themselves with hot meals at our campus cafeterias is a good choice!

For our early birds, the Songlin Restaurant offers steamed buns with a variety of different fillings to help them get an energetic start to their day.

After class, if one sees students waiting in a long queue in the Xuewu Dining Hall, it's almost certainly because they are waiting to buy the most famous food in all of PKU -- rice with stewed chicken leg. They have to beat the crowd for this one, because it sells out quickly!

If Pekingers, who come from all around the world, miss the taste of their hometown, they'll be able to find something to satisfy their cravings in at least one of our many canteens.

The Yannan Dining Hall has Biangbiang Noodles, and Mutton and Bread in Soup; Xuewu Dining Hall offers Guilin Rice Noodles; Cantonese barbeque can be found in the Changchunyuan Dining Hall; for those who love western food, the Shaoyuan Western Restaurant has a huge menu to choose from; then, the halal windows in the Nongyuan Dining Hall offer food for our students with religious restrictions.

What about vegetarians? Don't worry! The Yiyuan Dining Hall has window with many vegan options.

What about people on a diet? There are plenty of windows offering low-calorie or low-sodium choices, and almost all our cafeterias offer a variety of fruits.

Are there any really spicy foods? Of course! The Malaxiangguo in Nongyuan and Yannan Dining Hall is the stuff of legends!

If you miss meal time, there's always food available somewhere on campus. The Xueyi Bakery offers several kinds of bread to temporarily allay one's hunger, the Beautiful Time Café offers its own menu and a nice place to sit with friends, and Tongyuan is great for a midnight snack.

In addition to our canteens, PKU also provides a stage for students to show their cooking talents. All kinds of food are presented at the Food Fiesta hosted every year as part of the International Culture Festival.

The second floor of the Yiyuan Dining Hall is an ideal place to treat one's friends coming to visit campus from afar. There one can find Yi Ta Hu Tu (一塔湖图), an arrangement of vegetables and meats made to look like a beautiful panorama of the Boya Tower, Weiming Lake and Peking University Library. It's definitely something not to miss out on!

This exploration of great food hardly ends for food lovers on campus, just like their journeys for knowledge and self-discovery.

Whether feeling on top of the world or a little on the down side, there's food on campus to comfort or inspire.

Our chefs pour their souls into the food they make so students can wrap up each wintery day on campus with a selection of warm, fragrant dishes or a hot bowl of noodles. Every meal is a new memory, just like each day.

The food on campus connects students with those who have come before, offers a sense of hospitality while they're here, and leaves them prepared for the future when it's time to go.

So, what's your favorite food in Peking University? What have your experiences with our cafeterias been like? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Special | A Bite of PKU

Writer: Liu Jie

Editor: Amanda Hu, Trevor

Photo: Xu Haolun, Fu Wanfeng, Cai Xiangyu, Zhou Wangwang, An Leike

Designer: Pu Hairui

Video: PKU Office of Global Communications