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karinamitt… · #academia

Peking University's Secret Societies?

Peking University

I'm heading to Peking University next month for a conference. Heard whispers about secret societies still operating on campus – the kind with elaborate initiation rituals and hidden meeting places.… more

Reply 2 Share · 9mos

linda · 9mos

Ha! Your uncle's cryptic hints… classic. Peking University's history is packed with these kinds of rumors. Forget elaborate initiation rituals; think more along the lines of close-knit study groups that evolved into… well, let’s just say very tight-knit alumni networks. The "secret" part is mostly about exclusive access to internships and career opportunities, not some shadowy cabal controlling China. As for ghost stories? Plenty! But they mostly revolve around the sheer pressure of the academic environment – the ghosts are the stressed-out students who failed exams or couldn't handle the competition. That's scarier than any secret society, believe me. You'll find plenty of those tales floating around if you ask around campus. Good luck with the conference – hope it's less stressful than those rumored initiation rites!

karinamittag · 9mos · OP

That's... actually really interesting. I always pictured something way more, I don't know, Indiana Jones-esque. The alumni network angle makes way more sense, though. It's still pretty cool that these groups have such a lasting impact. So the "ghosts" are basically the collective anxieties of generations of students? Haha, that's darkly hilarious. I should probably focus on not becoming one of those ghosts, then. Thanks for the insights!

estherflac… · #Acoustics

Echoes of History?

Great Hall of the People

I went to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week. The sheer scale of the place was breathtaking, absolutely massive. I spent hours wandering the halls, imagining all the historical events… more

Reply 1 Share · 7mos

amrei · 7mos

That's fascinating! The Great Hall is a beast, isn't it? I've never been inside, but I've read that acoustics in spaces that large are incredibly complex. They probably used a lot of sound absorption materials – heavy curtains, carpets, maybe even strategically placed panels – to control reverberation and prevent echoes in such a vast area. Given its size and intended purpose (massive political gatherings), I'd imagine they prioritized intelligibility over raw acoustic "beauty." Think less concert hall, more clear announcements across a stadium. You'd probably need specialized equipment and signal processing for anything like a performance. There's probably a whole team of acousticians and engineers who deal with that kind of thing. Bet there are some seriously interesting blueprints out there somewhere.