The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus at Peking University last month shows different aspects of its campus life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

　　Wang Qijun paintings of campus scenes capture the spirit of Peking University

　　Jordan Schneider, an American student, was excited to see his image in a recent oil painting on display in an exhibition held at Peking University.

　　In the painting, two Chinese students are introducing a mountaineering club to the sophomore majoring in Chinese and showing him how to join the club using a smartphone.

　　The painting is so true to life that his wound from a surgical operation to remove a benign tumor in his right hand is visible, Schneider said.

　　It was one of 19 oil paintings on display at Peking University last month.

　　The exhibition was one of the important components of the 15th Peking University International Culture Festival, said Wu Zhipan, former vice-president of Peking University, at the exhibition's opening ceremony.

　　All the 19 artworks on display were by Professor Wang Qijun of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts after he was invited to be an overseas visiting scholar at Peking University in 2015, he said.

　　The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus at Peking University last month shows different aspects of its campus life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

　　Born in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, Wang is now a Canadian citizen.

　　The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus shows different aspects of Peking University campus life.

　　One depicts a female student standing between two rows of books in the library immersed in reading, another shows 23 students eating in the university canteen after a long day of classes. Others portray three female students playing cards on one of campus lawns, a makeup artist helping an actress with her makeup before the start of a play, five mothers of primary and high school students taking pictures of the university's buildings and campus, five students offering a free bicycle repair service, 17 overseas students gathered by Weiming Lake, a cleaner putting rubbish into a rubbish cart, and a girl student looking up at the iconic statue of Cai Yuanpei (1868-1940), the university's president from 1916 to 1927.

　　The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus at Peking University last month shows different aspects of its campus life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

　　Looking up at the statue of Cai whose pedestal has a bouquet of flowers, the girl student has an ancient Chinese book in one hand. Cai represents the noble ideals of Peking University and China's higher education, said He Lingyun, an undergraduate student at the university's School of International Studies.

　　Cai advocated intellectual freedom and inclusion.

　　"Peking University is one of the most renowned universities in China, and has also been my dream school since young," Wang said.

　　"After I became its overseas visiting scholar, I felt much closer to it. When I look at scenes on campus, I have a shift from being a mere visitor to somebody taking a leisurely stroll on my own campus," he said.

　　Most of his 19 paintings on display are based on photos he took on campus. But they are not merely a reproduction of the photos.

　　The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus at Peking University last month shows different aspects of its campus life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

　　The painting Silent Nostalgia in which the female student looks up at Cai is painted in subtle tones of warm violet to reflect the collective respect and nostalgia for the apostle of the Peking University spirit of intellectual freedom and inclusion, Wang said.

　　The painting Budding Dream in which five mothers of primary and high school students take photos of the university's buildings and campus is dominated with bold hues of red to represent the passion and excitement of the mothers who admire Peking University and hope their children will become its students one day.

　　Wang's painting depicting 17 overseas students gathering by Weiming Lake was collected by the university at the opening ceremony of its 15th International Culture Festival. Lin Jianhua, the then president, issued the certificate of collection to him in person.

　　The paintings on display are based on photos Wang Qijun took on campus. But they are not merely a reproduction of the photos. [Photo provided to China Daily]

　　The exhibition entitled Everlasting Campus at Peking University last month shows different aspects of its campus life. [Photo provided to China Daily]

作者：HUANG ZHILING