Fondness for teaching and gardening
Professor Dong positions himself as a teacher first and foremost, then as an architect and gardener.
"The Chinese Garden studies is a combination of two of my passions: teaching and gardening,” said Professor Dong. “The most important habit is: if it comes to mind, then I will do it. I have been teaching Chinese garden for five years. Every year, I think that I have already figured out what Chinese garden is all about. However, when I prepare my lessons for the next year, I will suddenly come to the realization that I had taught badly the previous time round! I enjoy feeling this way. This is the best part of teaching as realizing my previous shortcomings make me more aware of my progress.”
In teaching, his vocation coincides with his avocation. “PKU is the world’s best place for learning Chinese culture. I am not going anywhere else as long as my studies are about China.”
Feeling the sincerity
“He is very passionate about his realm, the Chinese garden,” said Morn, a junior student from the PKU School of Economics. “I can really feel his sincerity. Although I am not an architecture student, I am moved by Professor Dong. His words and teachings have the power of engaging our minds and guiding us to obtain inner harmony. And by the way, you can also feel his deep love for his son!”
Professor Dong enjoys talking about his twelve-year-old son in class. The little Mr. Dong is a “student” of his father as well, as he sits in for all of his father’s classes.
“My son is growing up, and I am getting older.” When it comes to his son, he once told the class, “I do not know if he will become an architect like me in the future. But the point is that we should immerse ourselves in what we love as we get older. Chinese garden is a beautiful thing. No matter what your major is, you can do something for it.”
By An Tairan
Updated: April 14th, 2014
