Central Party School

This article in Mercury News mentioned the place I used to live. We moved to Central Party School when I was in middle school when my mom got a job there for her research work in comparative socialism. I lived there for only four years, but until a few years ago when my dad finally moved out, it was technically our "home".

"Party" is for the Communist Party of course. This is the place where the best of the best of the Party stopped to polish up before their next great ascend in the power game. The school campus was built behind Summer Palace, the retreat for the royalties in the old days. The size and layout of the campus had a hint of an attempt to copy Summer Palace as well, complete with painted gate, lake, bamboo garden and rocky hills.

I can't believe there weren't many pictures of the campus, since my dad is an armature photographer and he was in high heavens landing in all the nice scenery. These two were taken one year when I was home from school, first heavy snowfall since I left Beijing (might be the last snow I saw in China as well). Can't see much with everything all white!


Usually this kind of gate is on the main road at the entrance of a town, but this one is purely decorative. There is a lake on one side and some bushes and field on the other. Seems like someone decided there had to be a gate on this campus but couldn't find a place for it. I remember throwing Frisbee through the gate.

With my brother in the real Summer Palace. Taken from the same angle as the picture on the right on Wikepedia.

I think this is my dad's attempt to hide the millions of tourists.