Peking University is famous for its One Tower Lake Picture, in which the tower refers to the Boya Tower located next to the Weiming Lake of Peking University.
The "tower" in the "One Tower Lake Picture" - the Boya Tower, the essence of Yanyuan architecture, is an architectural masterpiece that is highly unified in terms of function, artistic shape, and environmental coordination. Its beautiful shadow in Weiming Lake is deeply imprinted in the hearts of many students at Peking University. Boya Tower is located on a hill in the southeast of Weiming Lake. It is built in the style of Tongzhou Randeng Ancient Tower and the dense eaves brick tower of Liao Dynasty. It was originally a water tower for campus water supply, and its unique design concept was the masterstroke of Yanyuan's construction.
In July 1924, Yenching University (the site of present-day Peking University was once Leighton Stuart’s Yenching University) needed to build a water tower in order to provide water to the entire school. At that time, someone proposed that an ancient pagoda-style water tower should be built among the classical buildings in Yanyuan to harmonize with the scenery of Weiming Lake. This suggestion was quite controversial at the time, because ancient pagodas were mostly built in temples in ancient China, and whether it was appropriate to build them on a school campus was still a question. Later, Colonel Yan sought opinions from celebrities at the time and decided to build a tower-type water tower after receiving approval. Times have changed. From today's perspective, a controversial suggestion at the time has become an eternal classic among China's highest universities. The design of the water tower is based on the Ran Lighthouse in Tongzhou, which was first built in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Because there is a stone statue of Ran Deng Buddha in the pagoda, it is called Ran Deng Lighthouse. "The tower has thirteen levels, 280 feet high, 140 feet in circumference, and is hollow." The water tower has a level of thirteen, but is smaller than the Ran Lighthouse, only thirty-seven meters high. It is hollow, with a spiral staircase leading directly to the top of the tower. Except for the base, it is entirely constructed of reinforced concrete and is well designed. It is said that the construction company at that time went bankrupt due to inaccurate labor estimates resulting in losses, and had to change hands three times. Since the buildings on the campus of Yenching University at that time were all named after the surnames of the donors, the water tower was mainly donated and built by Bo Chenguang's uncle (who was living in the United States at the time), a professor in the Department of Philosophy at Yenching University, so it was named "Boyata". The well is 164 feet deep, with clear water and abundant water source. The water spray is more than ten feet above the ground, and the water spray volume reaches 16,000 gallons (60,560 liters) per hour.
The majestic Boya Tower, the surrounding pines and cypresses, and the rippling Weiming Lake constitute a major landscape of Yanyuan. Due to the ingenious location of the building, you can often see it inside and outside Peking University, between beams, pillars and ancient trees, which adds to its beauty and magic. Boyata is like a weather-beaten old man, standing silently by the lake, observing the changes. The locked tower door is like the old man's closed heart, containing the long years of life.
The match made in heaven between the lake and the tower is the magic touch of Weiming Lake, which is always philosophical and thought-provoking. It can be said that the shadow of the lake and the tower has become an immortal myth in the scenery of Yanyuan. The lake and the tower have souls. Their souls are the souls of thousands of Peking University people and the soul of Peking University. Boya Tower has absorbed the wisdom and aura of thousands of Peking University students. Its status in Peking University has far exceeded the tower itself. If Weiming Lake is the eyes of Peking University, then Boya Tower is the bright pupils. "Boya" These two words embody the most immortal totem in the spirit of Peking University. Many people from Peking University often write in their sincere words: "The school has liberal arts, and the tower has soul." This spirit is exactly the “Bo” of Peking University and the “Elegance” of Peking University.