To broaden students' academic perspectives and understanding of humanities and the arts, the Faculty of Innovation and Design recently invited Professor Lennert Gesterkamp from the Netherlands to deliver a lecture titled "The Story of Cultivation in Wang Ximeng's 'A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains.'” With his extensive background in Chinese art history and a unique cross-cultural perspective, Professor Gesterkamp provided an engaging academic feast for students and faculty, attracting many who are interested in traditional Chinese art and culture.

Professor Gesterkamp is a Dutch sinologist and an expert in Chinese art history, currently a senior researcher at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. He conducted an in-depth analysis of the Daoist narrative embedded in the classic green-and-blue landscape painting "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains," offering a comprehensive interpretation that spans artistic expression, cultural symbolism, and religious beliefs. He noted that this handscroll not only illustrates the Daoist cultivation process from the secular to the spiritual and from the human realm to the celestial, but also reflects Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty's contemplation of Daoist ideals and innovations in landscape painting.

During the lecture, Professor Gesterkamp introduced the artistic structure and visual elements of "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains," emphasizing how the painting cleverly presents various stages of Daoist rituals and cultivation through its three-layer composition (foreground, middle ground, and background) along with details such as figures, architecture, and pathways. He also analyzed the potential political metaphors embedded in the artwork within the historical context of Daoism during the Song Dynasty. He argued that the depiction of the Five Sacred Mountains not only symbolizes China's territory but also serves as a metaphor for the connection between imperial power and the ideal of "peace" during the Song era.

After the lecture, attendees actively engaged in discussions, asking questions about the narrative themes of the painting, artistic innovation, and its cultural impact. Students expressed that the lecture not only deepened their understanding of "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains," but also inspired them to explore artworks from a cross-cultural perspective.

This lecture exemplifies the Faculty’s commitment to integrating academic research with artistic practice, providing a valuable platform for learning and exchange, and significantly contributing to the innovative development of the art discipline.