Campus café culture

Cafés offer more than just savory espressos or creamy lattes, but also a place to escape the grind of work and study. In Beijing, a number of university campus cafés are well established and popular among students. Here are some of the trendy campus cafés in Beijing that lure students with more than the fragrant aroma of coffee beans.
Motion Café, China Agriculture University
Affectionately referred to by students as the "café in the water tower," customers climb up to the second floor along a narrow, steep wooden ladder. Once safely on the patio, they can sit and enjoy the sunshine while sipping coffee and dipping into books, occasionally accompanied by geckos that crawl along a wall. Its inexpensive menu makes it a hit among students on tight budgets, with sandwiches highly recommended.
Address: Building No.1, east section of China Agriculture University, 17 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District
Paradiso Coffee, Peking University
This café is also popular among thrifty students for its low-cost menu. Its prices, including 10 yuan for a cup of coffee, are a refreshing change to those accustomed to Starbucks. Many foreign students come here to study while lazing on the sofa and practicing their Chinese with language exchange partners. Korean students will never feel lonely at the café, with a regular, daily hum of their native language almost guaranteed against the backdrop of light jazz music and other soft music that provides a comfortable atmosphere all day round. Conveniently located beside the university's library and under the PKU Centennial Auditorium and Theater, bookworms and film buffs alike can share their thoughts with one another over a hot cup of brew.
Address: First floor of Peking University Centennial Auditorium, 5 Yiheyuan Road, Haidian District
Tel: 010- 62769017
Campus Story Café, Communication University of China
Cafés have always been a favored haunt of intellectuals and politicians, who exchange their ideas with curious journalists. This makes the Campus Story Café a fertile ground of communication at the university renowned as the cradle for future media stars. Many social activities are regularly held at the café including the "workplace coffee" activity group, where invited alumni directors share their experiences in the industry with students. Journalists from Phoenix TV have also given career advice to budding reporters at the café. The café also holds swap fairs, where people exchange pre-loved goods among each other.
Address: 2nd floor of Animation School, Communication University of China, 7 Dingfuzhuang Nanli Road, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-57217710
Water Stone Café, Renmin University
A Chinese idiom on achieving success through perseverance claims that "the constant drops of water penetrate the stone." Its also a fitting analogy for love, making the café a romantic location for young love birds. 
Located at China's prestigious Renmin University, the Water Stone Café is a quiet place where students can escape their heavy study load.
European-style coffees are anything but cheap, however they cater to the refined tastes of coffee connoisseurs. The café regularly holds various activities, such as film theme days and there is an English corner along with other social networking events.
An interesting detail worth noting is that each table has a notebook for visitors who want to leave a couple of words or draw simple pictures.
Open it to discover the musings of people sharing sometimes personal and intimate accounts. Just like the ups and downs we all experience in life, some stories are sad, while others are heartwarming and encouraging.
Free Wi-Fi is also available.