Society

'Golden time' shines five decades after graduation

By Xing Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-22 08:22

BEIJING - "For me, the five years I spent at Tsinghua University was a golden time," said He Jianying, a retired engineer and scholar who studied in the department of electrical engineering at the university from 1953 to 1958.

He Jianying was born to an intellectual family in 1935.

"At that time, engineering talents were in demand. So, even though I was interested in art and social sciences, I decided to study engineering," she said.

In her mind, Tsinghua University was a paradise for young people who wanted to improve themselves and the students were full of passion to carry out research into their majors.

"Every morning, we rushed to the library to occupy the seats by putting some books or bags on them so we were ready for private study time after class," she said.

And when she went to class, she especially enjoyed the instruction she received from famous professors.

"When a famous professor stepped onto the rostrum, the noise in the classroom would turn to silence because we would immediately be attracted by his or her erudite teaching."

The university didn't only concentrate on improving students' minds but also worked hard to help them improve their physique, He recalled.

According to her, in the 1950s, sport was an extremely important part of Tsinghua's campus life. From 5 pm to 6 pm, all students took a break from their studies to take part in physical exercise.

"In summer, we swam and in winter, we skated," she said with a smile.

During her time there, Tsinghua students had the tradition of organizing their own music time after supper.

"In the dormitory, students got together to sing and listen to music. Students were encouraged by the university to have artistic hobbies," she said.

She was a member of the university's chorus that practiced every week and she said it made an impression on her.

"If you had the will, you could absolutely obtain an art skill, such as drawing or singing, while at Tsinghua University," she said.

"The university's atmosphere was conducive for students accessing art. Sometimes, on Saturday afternoon, famous artists, singers or dancers visited to perform for free," she added.

After graduation, she went to Jinan city in East China's Shandong province to work at a research institute.

Her son also studied at Tsinghua University, between 1987 and 1996, and got a doctorate there. Many of her relatives are also former students of the illustrious university.

"I often feel as if the relationship between myself and Tsinghua University was predestined," she said.