Peking University said it plans to build a nearly 40,000-sq-m hall to improve its dining environment after online pictures showed students standing¹ to finish meals during peak hours.

在网络图片显示北京大学学生在就餐高峰期间站着吃饭之后，北大方面表示，学校计划修建一个近4万平方米的食堂以改善就餐环境。

Weibo users said the Yannan dining hall at the prestigious² university is so overcrowded that all seats are taken and many students have to stand or sit in corridors and stairs while eating.

微博用户日前称，这所名校的燕南食堂十分拥挤，座无虚席，许多学生不得不在走廊和楼梯上站着或坐着用餐。

A reporter for Beijing News said foreign students also have to sit on the ground.

据《新京报》的一名记者表示，外国留学生也不得不坐在地上用餐。

One student noted³ that such scene is common only in this dining hall, as it's close to lecture buildings and a library, where many students congregate⁴.

一名学生称，站着吃饭只在燕南食堂比较普遍。这个食堂附近是教学楼和图书馆，聚集了很多学生。

When all these people swarm⁵ into the hall at meal time, it's quite hard to find an empty seat.

到了用餐时间，学生纷纷涌入便很难找到空位。

Jiang Langlang, an official with the university's Party committee, said the university would build a new dining hall and has finished preparation work for demolishing⁶ old buildings to make way for the new site.

北大党委会官员蒋朗朗表示，该校将新建一处食堂，并且拆除旧建筑为新食堂腾地方的准备工作也已完成。