Cash-strapped universities in Guilin are turning to free-spending foreign tourists in the scenic southwestern city to supplement their income.
At Guangxi Teachers' College, tour buses drive past the well-preserved 500-year-old buildings that served as a southern retreat for Ming dynasty emperors and head to a modern building on the edge of the campus where major credit cards are accepted.
Inside, the walls are covered with the work of professors from the university's art department. Misty water-colour scrolls of Guilin's distinctive mountain scenery, priced as high as 10,000 yuan (HK$9,360), can be bought.
The shop is staffed by art department students. University officials and students are equally coy about the profit-sharing arrangements between artists and university, but a student salesman said earnings were split fairly and were a boon to the school.
'Chinese universities always have trouble earning enough money, and ours is no exception, so instead of charging students higher fees, our school has decided to go into business selling artwork,' he said.
Far from pushy, the student sales staff is quick to reveal that posted prices can be readily halved, but more aggressive are the tour guides who bring buses of tourists to the university who earn commission on sales. The salesman said the arrangement also benefitted tourists.
