Video: Aspiring students deface Peking University temple with graffiti

As students at Beijing’s prestigious Peking University returned to campus this week after a long summer break, many of them had a rude welcome back.

Layers of fresh graffiti in the form of hundreds of messages scribbled in ink covered the crimson walls, beautifully carved stone arches, and even the white-painted roof of the Goddess of Flower Temple archway that stands on a bank of the university’s picturesque Nameless Lake.

“I will come back to Peking University as a proud student,” reads one of many messages, often of a similar nature left by aspiring high school students from all over China who visit the beautiful campus during the summer.

In June, university officials said they would arrange more patrols on campus to protect historical structures like temple from vandals.

Peking University, along with neighbouring Tsinghua University, consistently ranks among the country’s top universities and is especially known for its research expertise in science and the humanities.