On the evening of April 23rd, 2024, the ninth lecture of the Peking University Dishui Lake Lecture Hall (PKU-DSLLH) was successfully held. Coinciding with the annual World Book Day, this month's PKU-DSLLH invited Professor Ding Ning, Boya Chair Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at Peking University, to deliver a special lecture titled "Exploring the All-round Genius Leonardo da Vinci" in the Dishui Lake Theater at Lin-gang, embarking on a journey of artistic resonance that touched hearts and minds.

Starting from the achievements of the "three artistic giants" during the Italian Renaissance, Professor Ding Ning combined over 1200 precious images with intriguing historical anecdotes and detailed Leonardo da Vinci's painting characteristics influenced by his personal life experiences. Through in-depth analysis of his meticulous artworks, he explored the profound impact of great paintings such as "Leonardo da Vinci's Self-Portrait," "The Last Supper," and "The Mona Lisa" on human cultural civilization, spontaneously "deciphering" several puzzles hidden in the bestselling book "The Da Vinci Code" published in 2003 from a professional perspective.

Why "Leonardo da Vinci"? According to Professor Ding Ning, "Leonardo da Vinci is not simply an artist; he has many talents — designing waterways, submarines, and gliders; he's an anatomist, architect, engineer, and musician — his singing voice is extremely charming, and he can make musical instruments, playing the harp for court dukes". Leonardo da Vinci's artistic works are full of imaginative ideas, and each step of his artistic creation is epoch-making. He pointed out, "Because of his imaginative ideas, he can inspire the innovation-oriented era we live in today. Such a versatile talent like 'Leonardo da Vinci,' who encompasses myriad talents, should also be the most sought-after composite talent in Lin-gang Special Area."

During the Q&A session, Professor Ding Ning interacted with the audience on topics such as "What factors makes a world-class masterpiece" and "How to integrate the love for art into daily art education work," creating a warm atmosphere.

Wu Xiaohua, Deputy-secretary of the Party Working Committee of Lin-gang Special Area met with Professor Ding Ning and presented him a commemorative plaque. Nearly 300 people including The Department of Party-People Affaris, Lin-gang Special Area Administration (LSAA), Peking University Shanghai Lin-gang International Science and Technology Innovation Center (PKU-IICSH), as well as representatives from Peking University Alumni Association, and online registered participants attended the event.

Before the event, Professor Ding Ning conducted an on-site inspection of PKU-IICSH, visited the Party-Mass Service Center, and provided guidance on the center's development.

Initiated with the support of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lin-gang Speacial Area Administration (hereinafter referred to as Lin-gang Special Area, or LSAA), Peking University Dishui Lake Lecture Hall (PKU-DSLLH) is a collaborative effort involving Peking University Intertional Innovational Center, Lin-gang Special Area, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (PKU-IICSH), Peking University Office of Science and Technology Development, and Office of Humanities and Social Science, and enjoying an active participation from Peking University Press, Peking University Alumni Association, and other relevant offices and departments. Leveraging Peking University's profound academic foundation and expert resources in the humanities and social sciences, PKU-DSLLH focuses on key areas including economic development, humanities and arts, and social governance.

Since August 2023, PKU-DSLLH has been hosting monthly lectures featuring renowned professors or expert scholars from Peking University, who provide specialized lectures and engage in in-depth discussions with residents in Lin-gang. This initiative aims to facilitate the concentration of high-quality humanities and social science resources from Peking University in Lingang, effectively enhancing the cultural image and urban competitiveness of the Lin-gang Special Area.