Peking University is a comprehensive and national key university, the campus, known as "Yan Yuan"（the garden of Yan）.Peking University is proud of its outstanding faculty, including 53 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 7 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and 14 members of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).Peking University has become a center for teaching and research and a university of a new type, embracing diverse branches of learning such as basic and applied sciences, social sciences and the humanities, and sciences of medicine, management, and education. Its aim is to rank among the world's best universities in the future.

Weiming Lake is one of the most popular and scenic spots on campus. The word "wei ming" in Chinese means "without being named." The lake was once a part of a royal garden in the Qing dynasty and is still regarded by visitors as sacred.