On the afternoon of September 10, the Peking University International Faculty Club hosted a special Teachers' Day event — "Yanyuan Heritage: Lakeside Charm" — a cultural walk around Weiming Lake. Faculty from over a dozen departments, including mathematics, chemistry, physics, foreign languages, education, international relations, and the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, gathered and strolled along the lake, celebrating Teachers' Day.
The walk began at the statue of Cai Yuanpei, passing landmarks such as the Bell Pavilion, the Stone Five Offerings, the Upside-Down Stone Fish, Linhu Xuan, the gate of Ciji Temple, the grave of Edgar Snow, and the Boya Pagoda. A PhD student from the School of Archaeology and Museology wove the historical ties between Shuchun Garden, the Old Summer Palace, Yenching University, and Peking University into the narrative. The group listened intently, as if traveling through time to feel the depth of a century-old institution.
The group then moved to the east side of the lake and headed west via the Stone Boat, the islet, De Cai Jun Bei Zhai, the Administration Building, and the sundial. The iconic "One Pagoda, One Lake" scenery, paired with the stories behind the buildings, sparked lively cross-disciplinary conversations as the scholars bonded over history.
The final stop was the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Archaeology and Art. The ongoing exhibition "Archaeological China: Research on the Civilization Model of the Lower Yangtze River Region" features over 400 artifacts, from Lingjiatan and Liangzhu to Sidun and Fuquanshan, systematically tracing the arc of civilization in the lower Yangtze. The faculty paused to examine jade objects, rice-cultivation relics, and ancient city sites, gaining a more tangible appreciation of the pluralistic yet unified nature of Chinese civilization.
The event not only offered international faculty members a relaxing cultural experience but also served as a bridge for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural exchange through historical exploration.
