Sichuan Yingshan: The 17th Youth Summer Camp has successfully closed

Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China... "On the morning of July 5th, the singing was loud and clear in the meeting room of the Old Cadres Bureau of Yingshan County Committee in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. As the last note fell, the three-day "Promoting the Spirit of the Long March and Striving to Be a New Era" 17th Youth Summer Camp in Yingshan County successfully closed. 80 students from 10 primary schools in the county, with full gains and emotions, ended this red learning journey.

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, this summer camp focuses on the theme of "promoting the spirit of the Long March and striving to become a new generation of the times". With red footprints as the classroom and heroic deeds as the teaching material, it leads children to touch history through exploration, draw strength through listening, and inherit the spirit through practice, allowing the seeds of the Long March spirit to take root and sprout in the hearts of young people.

Opening Camp: A Special Ideological and Political Course

On the morning of July 3rd, the opening ceremony was held in the conference room on the third floor of the County Committee's Retired Cadres Bureau. All campers raised their right fists and solemnly swore. The resounding oath echoed in the venue, and the innocent face was filled with firmness.

This summer camp is not only a concrete practice to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March and deepen red education, but also a real-life classroom to cultivate the patriotism of young people. It is also a valuable platform for everyone to step out of textbooks, hone their character, and achieve growth. "Chen Wei, member of the Standing Committee of the Yingshan County Party Committee, Minister of the Organization Department, and Director of the County Customs Working Committee, sent a message to all campers at the opening ceremony, urging them to draw on the power of faith in learning and seeking history, hone their fighting character in forging their souls and virtues, and strive to become a new generation of the times in the unity of knowledge and action.

On the Long March, Grandma Wang Dingguo's toes were frozen off. She wiped the blood, gritted her teeth and followed the team without shedding a single tear. After the opening ceremony, Ning Youkang, Executive Deputy Director of the Guan Gong Committee of Yingshan County, gave the first themed lecture on "Promoting the Spirit of the Red Army and Walking the New Long March Road".

From the difficult childhood of climbing mountain villages in Anhua Township, to the brave and intelligent leadership of the women's independent camp commander who outsmarted the enemy; From a life of nine deaths crossing snow capped mountains five times and grasslands three times, to the unwavering loyalty of the West Route Army in secretly establishing branches and rescuing over 300 lost comrades after being captured; From self-taught growth from illiteracy to becoming a writer and painter, to embarking on the Long March at the age of 92 and guarding the memories of the Red Army throughout his life... These vivid stories connect the legendary life of Wang Dingguo, an old Red Army soldier in Yingshan. The children listened attentively, and their notebooks were filled with dense reflections.

I used to think that the story of the Long March was far away from us, but today after listening to Grandpa Ning's story, I learned that there are such heroes in our hometown, "said Liu Shiyan, a student at Chengbei Experimental School. In the future, when faced with unsolvable and insurmountable difficulties, she will remember the perseverance of our Red Army predecessors in climbing snow capped mountains and crossing grasslands, and grit her teeth to persevere.

Search: Touching History Between Archives and Stele Forests

On the afternoon of July 3rd, campers walked into the patriotic education base of Yingshan County Archives. Precious historical pictures and historical archives that carry memories take children back to the era of war and turmoil. It turns out that our Yingshan is also a revolutionary old area. The Red Army fought on this land back then! "Exclaimed Li Meiting, a student from Chengbei Experimental School.

The guide started from the early establishment of the party organization in Yingshan, detailing the past events of the Battle of Yingqu and the Battle of Fengdoupu, as well as the heroic deeds of the children in their hometown who rushed to the Long March. The children listened attentively, and many stood in front of the exhibition board reading the life stories of the martyrs word by word.

Stepping out of the archives, the campers arrived at Huaxia Film City to collectively watch the red movie 'Four Crossing'. On the big screen, the heroic scene of Red Army soldiers crossing the Red River in the midst of gunfire and bullets made children hold their breath and concentrate. At the end of the film, many campers' eyes turned red.

On the morning of July 4th, the campers took a bus to the General's Stele Forest in the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet Area of Bazhong City. This stele forest, built in 1993, is the largest Red Army stele forest in the country, engraved with the names of 138000 martyrs. Amidst the verdant pines and cypresses, monuments stand quietly. In front of the solemn monument, all personnel stood in silence and offered flower baskets to the revolutionary martyrs. Faced with the bright red Young Pioneers flag, all campers reviewed their oath of joining the team, and the resounding oath echoed in the mountains.

Slowly walking along the long corridor of the Stele Forest, stone tablets engraved with names form a magnificent group of heroes. Upon learning that there were tens of thousands of soldiers of the Sichuan Shaanxi Red Army recorded in the Stele Forest, including revolutionary children from Yingshan, the children crouched down and gently brushed their fingertips against the cold surface of the stele, carefully searching for familiar place names. Found it! There's a Red Army uncle from Yingshan here! "The students exclaimed in surprise, their eyes full of reverence. From the patriotic education base to the monument forest of generals in the Sichuan Shaanxi Soviet Area, every point has become a vivid classroom, where children stop and gaze, understanding the weight of "every inch of mountains and rivers, every inch of blood".

Inheritance: Let the spirit of the Long March illuminate the path of growth

On the afternoon of July 4th, after returning to Yingshan, Xiao Bingcheng, Executive Deputy Director of the Yingshan County Customs Working Committee, gave a keynote speech on the theme of "Inheriting the Spirit of the Long March from Generation to Generation". He talked about the historical background of the Long March and the contemporary value of the Long March spirit, using vivid stories to interpret the spiritual core of "revolutionary ideals above heaven". The children sometimes listen attentively, and sometimes write vigorously.

On the morning of July 5th, the summer camp welcomed a relaxed and enjoyable session - fun games and achievement displays. The campers grouped together to play team collaboration games, and laughter echoed one after another. The subsequent achievement display turned the insights gained over the past four days into vivid works: some outlined the solemn monument of the generals' stele in Linzhuang, some described the dream of building a strong country, and some drew the route map of the Red Army's Long March... With each stroke, it was the children's most sincere understanding and expression of the spirit of the expedition, recording their growth and transformation.

The three days were brief, yet they left a profound impression on every child's heart. At the closing ceremony, Liang Hengrui, a student from Green Water Primary School, spoke as an outstanding camper representative. He stated that the spirit of the Long March is not a slogan hanging on the wall, but a force infused with blood. In the future, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we must learn from the spirit of the Red Army soldiers who are not afraid of sacrifice and move forward courageously. The simple words expressed the common voice of all campers.

From the archive exhibition hall to the front of the martyrs' monument, from listening to lectures in class to watching movies in the cinema, the three-day red journey planted the power of faith in the hearts of students. In the future, they will be nourished by this spirit and embark on a journey of growth with a fighting spirit. They will bravely move forward on their own "New Long March" and strive to become the new generation of the times who can shoulder the great responsibility of national rejuvenation.

In recent years, the Guan Gong Committee of Yingshan County has fully leveraged the advantages of the "Five Elders" and deeply cultivated the red education front. Every year, it closely follows the theme of the times to create immersive study classrooms, allowing the red genes to radiate vitality from generation to generation. The 17th Youth Summer Camp has been held continuously, and it has become a golden brand in Yingshan County that cares about the work of the next generation. The closure of the summer camp is not the end, but a new beginning, "said Luo Lanbo, the executive director of the Guan Gong Committee in Yingshan County. Various extension activities will be carried out in the future to guide children to integrate what they have learned into their daily lives, internalize the spirit of the Long March in their hearts and externalize it in their actions, and fasten the first button of their lives. (Peng Chuanheng)