On the evening of September 26, 2024, the 14th lecture of Peking University Dishui Lake Lecture Hall (PKU-DSLLH) was successfully held. Professor Zhao Dongmei, a professor and doctoral supervisor from the Department of History, Peking University, and Director of China Song History Research Association, was invited to give a special lecture titled
Brilliant Stars of Chinese Civilization: On the Scholar-officials Politics of Northern Song (《华夏群星闪耀时：漫谈北宋士大夫政治》) at the Dishui Lake Theater.
Prof. Zhao began her speech by emphasizing the profound impact of the Song Dynasty on Chinese civilization and then introduced the lecture's theme, “Brilliant Stars of Chinese Civilization.” She explored how Fan Zhongyan, a prominent politician and literary figure in the Song Dynasty, conducted affairs and treated people and the tolerance of the emperor. With such cases, Prof. Zhao illustrated the essence of the "brilliant stars," being the "new people, new politics, and new culture" created by the scholar-officials in Northern Song, which represented the pinnacle of Confucian politics during the Song Dynasty.
Unfortunately, the golden period did not last long. Prof. Zhao explained how the success of Wang Anshi Reform led to a shift towards Legalism-oriented politics in Northern Song from five aspects: "methods," "ideologies," "administrative approaches," "scholarly spirit," and "policy inclinations." By comparing the failure of the Qingli Reform carried out by Fan Zhongyan with the success of the Wang Anshi Reform, Prof. Zhao elaborated on the downfall of the scholar-officials politics of Northern Song.
During the Q&A session, Prof. Zhao engaged with the audience by addressing questions such as “Ancient people’s perception of living in a prosperous era” and “The reasons why the scholar-officials politics of Northern Song eventually declined.” Prof. Zhao shared her research and practical experiences with the audience, leading to a lively and enthusiastic discussion.
Peng Shiquan, Deputy Director of Lin-gang Special Area Administration (LSAA), attended the lecture and presented Prof. Zhao Dongmei with a commemorative plaque as the fourteenth lecturer of PKU-DSLLH. Over 300 audiences, including personnel from the related divisions of LSAA and PKU-IICSH, Peking University alumni, and online registered participants, attended the event in person. Approximately 12,000 online audiences watched the lecture through live broadcasts.
Before the lecture, Prof. Zhao Dongmei conducted an on-site inspection of PKU-IICSH, visited the Party-Mass Service Center, the PWA Instrumentation & Service Center for Biomedicine, and expressed her best wishes for 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 International S&T Innovation Center at 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.
