Revitalized arcades give college a degree of style

Reflecting on the restoration project, Gao Le, the project leader at the medical college, recognizes both the difficulty of the task and the significance of the artworks to the school.

"The initial unveiling of these artworks left a profound visual influence and emotional resonance among our team members. There is no doubt that we must prevent further deterioration of these precious artifacts," Gao Le says.

Seeing the restored arcades, Qiu Guixing, a 1968 alumnus of the medical college, recalls his first impression of the school.

"I entered Peking Union Medical College in 1960. I still have my admission letter — it's a beautiful piece. The aesthetics of that time were remarkable, as reflected in these artworks. The college — the birthplace of modern medicine and life sciences in China — is renowned for its unique blend of Eastern and Western architectural artistry," says the 82-year-old orthopedics specialist.

"The paintings are artistic treasures," he adds.

Founded in 1917, Peking Union Medical College is the birthplace of the country's eight-year medical degree course, higher nursing education and public health education.

It has nurtured a large number of distinguished medical experts over the past century, including Lin Qiaozhi (1901-83), who revolutionized modern Chinese gynecology and oncology, Huang Jiasi (1906-84), who pioneered thoracic surgery in the country, and urologist Wu Jieping (1917-2011).