The university was founded at Shanhaiguan, Hebei, in 1896, and it is currently located in Chengdu, Sichuan. The University has three campuses: the main Xipu campus, the Jiulidi campus in downtown Chengdu, and Emei campus about 90 miles to the southwest of the city snuggled at the foot of the Mount Emei, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains. The university offers programs at the graduate and undergraduate level to approximately 60,000 students.