At 6 a.m. on Mar. 4th, the Huxi Gate of HUST officially opened. Located at the junction of Chuidi Road and Changdi Bridge, the gate provides easier access for pedestrians and cyclists.

At 8 a.m., a constant group of teachers and students passed through the Huxi Gate, heading towards the East Lake, the Forest Park and other scenic areas to embrace nature.

At 9:30 a.m., the Huxi Gate welcomed the first wave of cyclists. Basking in the warm spring sunshine, students cycled out of the gate. Spring is very much in the air no matter inside or outside the gate.

“We are going to enjoy the flowers in the Botanical Garden. We used to have to pass through the small East Gate or the gate in front of the building of the School of Optical and Electronic Information and take a detour around the Ma’anshan Forest Park to get there. It is much easier now! We will come out and take a walk on weekends when we are free!” said student Chen Qing.

On the Changdi Bridge outside the Huxi Gate, many seniors either looked out over the lake or walked around in the sunlight. “We are going to exercise around Yujia Lake. I think highly of the opening of the gate, as it brings us great convenience!” said a retired teacher.

In front of the Huxi Gate, many on-campus residents are having a spring outing with their kids. Before the opening of the Huxi Gate, they had to drive out of the school through the East Gate or the Northeast Gate and go straight along the way to the Forest Park. The opening of the gate saves the trouble of taking a detour.

“I live on campus with my family. I heard about the opening of the Huxi Gate today, so I decided to take my grandson out from here for a stroll. My family used to take a detour to take us out. It’s much better now!” said a senior.

On social media, some students commented that they had suggested opening the Huxi Gate one and a half years ago. Now, the Huxi Gate is officially open. The teachers and students of HUST can walk to Yujia Lake in the future.

After the opening of the Huxi Gate, more HUSTers are going out of the campus. They are choosing more diverse ways of recreation and participating in outdoor activities to get closer to nature, enriching their weekend life in early spring.

Written by: Li Yi

Photographed by: Zhu Ziying

Edited by: Hu Zhenxiang, Chang Wen, Peng Yumeng