Hi, I am a little happy duck on Tianjin University’s campus.

As it gets colder and colder and yellow and red leaves start to float on water of my favorite river, I begin to worry about the coming cold winter. Looking at my friends swans, living in the beautiful villa designed by Professor Feng Jicai, I really envy them! Luckily, I heard that our new winter houses are completed. Before telling my friends this good news, I’m going to ask teachers in the Logistics Department for more details.

Me: Hello, Sir. Now my friends swans have moved to their new houses, I’m wondering how we pass the long and cold winter.

Teacher: Don’t worry. We have prepared comfortable cabins for you at both Peiyangyuan Campus and Weijin Road Campus to keep you warm and comfortable in the winter. The cabins can not only shelter you from the wind and snow, but also protect you from predators such as weasels. More than that, delicious food will be ready for you at regular intervals.

Me: Exciting! What do our cabins look like? Who are their designers?

Teacher: At the Peiyangyuan Campus, we build four cabins for you and your friends sheldrakes, mallards and white geese. 

The cabin is made from pruned branches, whose roof is water proof and made with reed leaves and iris lactea pall leaves. All of these materials are taken from the campus. We recycle them and build warm houses for you. 

On Weijin Road Campus live your friends ducks and mallards. Considering their different social characteristics, we build two cabins for them separately in case they fight for territory. With the joint efforts of the Logistics Department and students of the School of Architecture, you will see your new house soon. Your students friends took buildings in Qilitai dormitory area as the model, used wood as the main structure and elaborately designed its appearance. It is definitely a special decoration on the lakeside scenery.

Me: Wow, I can’t wait to move in! When can we move to our new houses? Where are they?

Teacher: They are now available. At the Peiyangyuan Campus, three cabin are built on the south side of the Youth Lake. At the Weijin Road Campus, the cabins are at the hydrophilic platform in front of the library and the platform on the east side of the Student Activity Center. On the one hand, these two spots are stone and cement ground, which can be well moisture-proof. On the other hand, they are the sunlit sides of the Dedication Lakeshore, with sufficient sunshine duration keeping the cabins dry and warm. All cabins are built near the lake in mid-November.

Me: How about those ducks who are not able to find the cabins?

Teacher: That’s very thoughtful. We still have enough time to train them before the lake freezes over. We will place a basin of water and delicious food at the door of the cabins every day. We also call on the students to feed them around the cabins so that they can get familiar with the surroundings. Through repeated stimulation of food, they will get used to the location of the cabin and stay there. Those who do not live in cabins are always found in reeds or several unfrozen areas of the river.

Me: What our delicious food are?

Teacher: You little foodie! We know you like to eat small fish, and fresh vegetables. When the lake freezes, especially after many of your students friends leave school for the holidays, we will increase the feed to meet your caloric needs. When spring comes and school begins, you’ll be swimming on the lake again.

Fly to my new warm houses

Me: With abundant and delicious food, warm houses, and care of teachers and students at Tianjin University, we are the happiest ducks in the world!

By Dang Xinuo

Editor: Sun Xiaofang