Wuhan University
In the city of Wuhan, in the province of Hubei, sits the public research institution known as Wuhan University. The Ministry of Education underwrites the educational institution that serves as the university. According to the university history document, Wuhan university, which was established in the early republican period of China as one of the four elite universities, is considered to be the oldest university in China. This recognition comes as a result of the university's status as the country's oldest university. The palatial structures that make up Wuhan University are a mix of Chinese and Western architectural elements. The university is situated atop Luojia Hill. It has been considered by many to be among the most attractive, if not the most beautiful, campuses in China throughout the last many decades.
The Chinese Ministry of Education ranked Wuhan University as a Double First Class University, indicating that it is one of the most prominent and selective institutions in China. It is an institution for both the Project 985 and the Project 211 research programmes. The institution has established a strong reputation for its research in a variety of subjects, including the social sciences, survey engineering, hydraulic engineering, and remote sensing. Wuhan University has consistently been placed among the best universities in China, earning it a place among the country's elite educational institutions. The CUAA placed it in the fourth spot nationally in 2016, and then moved it up to the third spot the following year. It is also listed in the top 200 universities in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and the U.S. News & World Report.
The Ziqiang Institute, the forerunner of today's Zhang Zhidong Institution, was established in 1893 by Zhang Zhidong, who served as governor of Hubei and Hunan provinces during the late Qing Dynasty. The university itself goes back to that year.
It went by a few other names until finally being known as National Wuhan University in July 1928. At the time, it was among the first set of national institutions to be established in contemporary China.
The landscape around the institution is characterised by undulating hills and features such as the picturesque Luojia Hill and the lovely East Lake. The campus is densely forested and lushly green all year round, and there are fragrant flowers growing in almost every location. The cherry blossom garden at Wuhan University is primarily responsible for the university's reputation as one of the most aesthetically pleasing institutions of higher learning in China. Every year in the springtime there is a celebration celebrating the cherry blossoms.
F. H. Kales was the architect responsible for the design of the majority of the fashionable older buildings (1899–1979). Kales, who received his education at MIT, is considered a pioneer in the integration of western architectural styles with traditional Chinese components. This is particularly visible in the roof designs he created for his buildings.
The floor area of Wuhan University's main campus is 2.42 square kilometres, making it the largest university campus in China. The campus itself covers 5508 mu of land. The university's libraries include a collection of roughly 5.4 million books and subscriptions to more than 10,000 Chinese and international periodicals combined.