A celebration of artistic achievements

Peking University Hall looks back on 25 years of pushing the boundaries of cultural education, Fang Aiqing reports.

Peking University is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Peking University Hall this year, which is not only a landmark of the prestigious institution, but also a venue for college aesthetic cultivation.

In collaboration with organizations including the National Ballet of China, the China National Symphony Orchestra, and the China National Opera House, hundreds of lectures and performances are held at the hall every year, in addition to film screenings with guided interpretation by critics and film industry insiders.

This semester, 41 performances and 15 screenings, as well as exhibitions about the hall's history and of art based on the stories of students and staff, will be organized in honor of its anniversary.

Recently, the venue hosted 75-year-old Hungarian conductor Adam Fischer and Germany's Dusseldorf Symphony Orchestra that performed Gustav Mahler's Symphony No 9 on May 13. Meanwhile, the Shanghai Yue Opera House performed traditional Yueju Opera adaptations of the classic Chinese novel Dream of the Red Chamber, and mythical story The Butterfly Lovers on April 25-26.

During a forum on May 13 to celebrate the anniversary and discuss the hall's future, Min Weifang, former Party secretary of Peking University, said that it has become a vital platform for liberal arts education.

For the university, it serves the internal need for aesthetic cultivation and the training of well-rounded talent, while also acting as a window to external cultural exchange, and generates a positive impact on the university's international reputation, Min adds.

A seminar attended by representatives from universities and art institutions was also held, during which topics such as how university theaters can fulfill their roles in aesthetic cultivation, integrate resources, promote innovation and tackle challenges were discussed.