Bai Yansong, a prominent host in CCTV, is giving a lecture at the Public Lecture Hall in Datong, Shanxi province

A public lecture hall in the city of Datong, Shanxi province, which has been operating for two years with the sponsorship of the city Party committee and various departments, has already played host to a number celebrity visitors.

Audience at the Public Lecture Hall in Datong, Shanxi province

Thanks to this, the lecture hall has become a highlight of Datong in taste and higher modern culture. This year saw a visit by Yanglan, a prominent female host, who gave a lecture in May on "Finding happiness", bringing wisdom and insight and a strong audience response. Then in June, Bao Pengshan, another speaker, gave an impassioned talk that was loaded with wisdom. Other visitors who have spoken interestingly about life, education and culture are performing artists Liuxiaolingtong and Lu Qin, and health experts Hao Wanshan and Zhao Yuping.

in fact, the lecture hall's range and influence extend far beyond urban culture since it has also become a site for public welfare, according to Ma Weiran, a prominent Datong entrepreneur and supporter of the hall, who explains, "An entrepreneur should help those in danger and relieve those in need, and try to make public welfare a way of behavior and a course of action. The public lecture hall is a good way to allow more people to feel this responsibility."

Entrance to the public lectures has been free since its opening and anyone can get a ticket through the website or customer service. An active team of volunteers makes sure of its success, up front and behind the scenes, and has grown rapidly in the past two years, with 300 members already.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw