Opinion / Liu Shinan
Universities have right to manage visitors
By Liu Shinan (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-07-26 11:12
Peking University recently announced that it will deny entry to tour
groups of primary school pupils and adult tourists, but will continue to
allow groups of middle school students to visit. In addition, the
university's doors will remain open to individual visitors.
The decision sparked heated public debate. Opponents claimed that the
university has no right to shut its campus to the public because, "as a
public institution built with taxpayers' money, it should be open to the
public." Supporters argued that a "university campus is not a public park
and the normal order of teaching should not be disturbed."
Both arguments are reasonable, but neither properly addresses the issue.
The crux of the problem is not whether the university should be open to
the public, but what is the most appropriate way for it to receive
visitors. Peking University is not trying to turn away all visitors. It
is merely setting some restrictions on the number of certain types of
visitors.
It is not wrong to claim that a public institution financed by the
nation's taxpayers should be open to the public. But those who made this
argument did so in order to criticize Peking University's decision to
shut its campus to part of the tourism industry. Their argument is
illogical. The openness of a public institution does not mean
unrestricted access to all of its facilities.
Some people cited famous universities in Western countries, such as
Oxford and Harvard, as examples of opening to visitors. Such a simple
comparison does not hold water either. The reality in these schools may
not be exactly what they imagined.
I have never visited Oxford and had only a very scant impression of
Harvard from a brief visit. But I once visited the University of
California at Berkeley, another world-renowned university. The beautiful
campus attracted many tourists, but there were signs reminding visitors
to keep quiet and take good care of the environment. Some areas were
cordoned off to prevent unauthorized entry. All the tourists behaved
carefully in order not to disturb the tranquillity of the campus or leave
any litter.
I also visited Peking University and Tsinghua University, the two most
prestigious schools of higher learning in China, during the summer
holiday. I saw hordes of tourists ushered by quacking guides along nearly
every path in the campus. Plastic bags, cans and paper cups could be seen
at the roadside, in the pond or under trees.
It is understandable that parents want to let their kids get some sense
of the academic atmosphere in the nation's top universities in the hope
of encouraging them to study hard. However, China has only one Peking
University and one Tsinghua University, but it has 200 million primary
and middle school students. Even a very tiny fraction of that number
(plus their parents) would constitute a mammoth army of visitors. In
fact, Peking and Tsinghua each currently receive 10,000 tourists every
day, many of whom are just ordinary tourists.
We Chinese have developed a particular liking for tourism in recent
years. But the nation's famous sites are simply being swamped by the
massive number of visitors trooping through them. Anyone who sees this
scene will think of the old Chinese saying: "youren ru chao" (tourists
surge along like tides) or "youren ru zhi" (tourists stand as densely as
thickly woven rugs). The damages thus caused to the tourist attractions
are undeniable.
Therefore, it is easy to imagine what consequences would be suffered if
Peking and Tsinghua did not take any measure to limit the number of
visitors. Moreover, it is unfair for the universities to suffer from
havoc wreaked by some adult tourists brought in by profit-seeking tourism
agencies. I believe even Oxford and Harvard universities would impose
certain restrictions on the number of visitors if they face the same
situation. So, please show some understanding about Peking University's
recent decision.
Meanwhile, Peking University should realize that its decision to allow
middle school students to visit but deny access to primary school pupils
is absurd. The number of visitors can be limited, but discrimination is
unfounded.
It also needs to improve its management of young visitors and their
parents. It can mobilize its own students to act as volunteer guides for
the kids. These knowledgeable and youthful students will definitely be
friendly to their younger brothers and sisters and thus have a better
influence on them than the money-hungry, garrulous tourist guides.
Email: liushinan@chinadaily.com.cn
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