Battle of the brains

For the better part of the last century, the capital's northwest Haidian district has been engaged in a mirthful conflict. It's not a war of words or weapons, rather it's of ideals and values, careers and status. If you're not a Beijing local, you could be forgiven for remaining oblivious to it. Nevertheless, some of the country's most famous faces, authors and minds have been part of the college rivalry between Peking (PKU) and Tsinghua universities.

Last week saw Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping tour various countries on a diplomatic mission, while President Hu Jintao was home stressing the need to bolster China's job market. Both men are among the five Tsinghua graduates in the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Esoterically, they are known as the "Tsinghua clique" - a name that seems to have been bestowed in honor of the jovial rivalry with neighboring PKU. 

Jostling for prestige

"There exists a rivalry to a certain extent. I feel students at PKU and Tsinghua like to compare nearly everything between them, from research to dormitory living conditions," said PKU environmental science student Wang Xiaoxiao (pseudonym). "From guys and girls to spirits and ideals, I don't think any specific action triggered the rivalry. It resulted from the fact that the two universities have always been compared to each other by society."

This is the debate that has raged since the two universities took prime positions in China's education landscape at the beginning of the 20th century. PKU, founded in 1898, has grown to become a national institution, and produced great writers and thinkers, such as Lu Xun.

Tsinghua, established in 1911 in the wake of the Boxer Rebellion, built its reputation as a priming ground for Chinese students who would eventually seek education in the US, with famous alumni including renowned architect Liang Sicheng and poet Wen Yiduo.

"I think the competition between these two universities is a positive one," said Fu Qian, a Tsinghua engineering major who graduated in 2010. "We have a competitive culture. PKU has a long history, even longer than ours at Tsinghua. We can see different subjects, traditions and cultures at these two universities, and they played an important role in the development of democracy and human rights in China and the May Fourth Movement."

Campus cultural differences

The May Fourth Movement grew from a student demonstration occupied heavily by PKU students into a full-blown anti-imperialist protest, which started a nationalistic chain reaction causing much of the country to go on strike. The two universities have normally been on the same page when it comes to politics, however PKU is steeped architecturally in history and Tsinghua in science and modernity. Each year, tourists flock to both for their material worth of visits.

The Global Times contacted several professors of humanity, sciences and sociology alike, hoping that someone inside the illustrious faculties at the two academic giants would shed some light on the cheerful rivalry that now occupies a fair portion of Haidian's university district, but all declined to talk. The subject is taboo among staff on both sides, so we were left with the students to explain to an outsider just what weight the old debate carries.

"We have a different campus culture. Personally, I appreciate [PKU's] social ability that means after graduation many students have a better chance of finding jobs. As a Tsinghua student, one thing about our university impressed me a lot and affected my life," hinted Fu. "That is our motto of 'actions speak louder than words.' We're influenced by these words, as they remind us to apply ourselves to realistic work. Tsinghua students tend to be more realistic and work on problems more practically."　

Since Peking University moved its campus in 1952 from north of the Forbidden City to its modern-day Haidian base, the two campuses have been just a stone's throw away from each other, separated precariously by a meager body of water.

"Students talk about this kind of rivalry jokingly, perhaps complaining that the dorms at PKU are not as good as those at Tsinghua. However, you'll find students on both sides are very respectful when they meet in a social situation," said Wang. "Frankly speaking, PKU students tend to think about what something should be like, while Tsinghua students tend to think directly how to solve problems. There's a widely-held belief that PKU students are idealistic and verbal though not very efficient, while Tsinghua students are conservative and practical." 

Pride of identity

When it comes to world rankings, the universities are neck and neck. Last year, Tsinghua ranked 49 and PKU 52, according to a poll by World University Rankings. As with many of the great arguments within China's education system, it all starts with the infamous college entrance exams known as the gaokao.

"A realistic part of this problem is the gaokao exam before enrolling at university. The results of the students who get into Tsinghua or PKU are significantly higher than others," said Fu. "From the first day, we have a feeling of superiority over other students in the country. It's not humble, I know, but we have this feeling."

Even before taking the gaokao, both prestigious universities host their own exams for budding students with grandiose advertising and scholarship opportunities. The fanfare is around the country and even though it evokes a comparison akin to Oxford and Cambridge, there has yet to be a major showdown.　

"It's just related to history, a result of two different kinds of modes thinking," dismissed Wang. "In my opinion, I think it's just the media making too much effort to compare and contrast the two universities."