On July 1, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: "The future belongs to young people, and hope is placed on young people. A hundred years ago, a group of new young people held high the torch of Marxist thought and painstakingly explored the future of national rejuvenation in stormy China. Over the past one hundred years, under the banner of the Communist Party of China, generations of Chinese youth have integrated their youth struggle into the cause of the party and the people and become the vanguard force for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In the new era, Chinese young people should take it as their duty to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, enhance their ambition, backbone, and confidence to be Chinese, and live up to the times, Shaohua, and the ardent expectations of the party and the people! ”
Today, I focus on the three aspects of "one hundred years ago, the new youth are committed to exploring the future of national rejuvenation", "over the past hundred years, young people have always been the vanguard force for realizing national rejuvenation", and "Chinese youth in the new era must have the courage to shoulder the great responsibility of national rejuvenation", and I tell the story of generations of Chinese youth who have integrated youth struggle into the cause of the party and the people.
100 years ago, the new youth devoted themselves to exploring the future of national rejuvenation
Keywords: new youth. When there is a crisis in the country and the nation, young people are often the first awakened people of the times. On September 15, 1915, Chen Duxiu said in the inaugural issue of the Youth Magazine" "Greetings to the Youth": "Youth is like the early spring, like the sun, like the budding of the hundred flowers, like the new hair of the sharp blade, the most precious period of life." Youth to society, like fresh and lively cells in the human body. Therefore, young people should be "autonomous rather than slave, progressive rather than conservative, enterprising rather than reclusive, worldly rather than national, profitable rather than imaginary, scientific rather than imaginary."
A strong youth is a strong country. In 1900, when the Eight-Power Alliance invaded China, the national crisis was unprecedented, and the Penghu Reform Law failed, Liang Qichao, a 27-year-old exile in Japan, wrote an article that was extremely influential among young people, "Young China Says". In Liang Qichao's view, "Those who produce the future young Chinese are also responsible for the Chinese youth." The day of his parting from this world is not far away, and my youth is a newcomer to the world. "The concept of 'young China' began to impact the hearts of a generation of patriotic young people and was deeply rooted in their hearts." Therefore, the responsibility today is not others, but all in my youth. The wisdom of the youth is the wisdom of the country, the wealth of the youth is the wealth of the country; the strength of the youth is the strength of the country, the independence of the youth is the independence of the country; the freedom of the youth is the freedom of the country; the progress of the youth is the progress of the country; the youth is better than Europe, the country is better than Europe; the youth is stronger than the earth, the country is stronger than the earth. "Who depends on to change China's destiny, to hit the water in the middle of the stream, all depends on my youth, and a generation of young revolutionaries have embarked on the journey of national rejuvenation under the inspiration of this." In 2021, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the people's daily new media launched the centenary theme of the founding of the party, "Youth", which began to be sung throughout the country. Struggle for a hundred years, "I am still the teenager before, the original intention has never changed, a hundred years is just a test, the goal of a better life continues to be achieved." ”
With the me of youth, I create the land of youth. In 1916, Li Dazhao, also 27 years old, wrote the influential article "Youth" in the New Culture Movement. In the article "Youth" in "New Youth" Volume 2, No. 1, he praised youth to the fullest. He wrote: "The universe is endless, that is, the youth is endless, that is, the self is endless. But he who truly knows and loves youth can realize that there is endless youth in the universe. Only those who can truly realize that there are endless youths in the universe can possess such spirit and courage. Only those who really have this spirit and courage can enjoy the endless youth of the universe forever. He said: "Young people follow this, rationally, make efforts, go forward without looking at the back, turn their backs on darkness and turn to the light, enter civilization for the world, create happiness for mankind, and use the youth self to create the family of youth, the country of youth, the nation of youth, the human being of youth, the earth of youth, the universe of youth, and the life of the endless." Riding the wind and waves, going far away, why not leave the worries of spring and dust? In the view of the founders of the Communist Party of China, although youth is produced in youth, it can be endowed with families, countries and nations, human beings, and even the earth and the universe. In March 2021, "Youth Me" began to be sung throughout the country, "I come from young China, pursuing the youth of me day and night." Shouldering the great responsibility of national rejuvenation, Chinese culture has twinkled for thousands of years. For the people's ideals, for the country's aspirations, innovative vitality, enthusiasm and self-improvement, eternal struggle, fearless, vigorous and vigorous, riding the wind and waves..."
The May Fourth Movement gave birth to the great May Fourth spirit with patriotism, progress, democracy, and science as the main contents, promoted China's social progress, promoted the spread of Marxism in China, promoted the integration of Marxism with the Chinese workers' movement, made ideological and cadre preparations for the founding of the Communist Party of China, was a turning point in China's old democratic revolution toward the new democratic revolution, and was of landmark significance in the historical process of the Chinese nation's pursuit of national independence and development and progress in modern times.
The eight reliefs on the pedestal of the Monument to the People's Heroes reflect the spirit of the Chinese nation's indomitable struggle to resist aggression by the great powers and realize national independence and national liberation in modern times, and reflect the historical original intention of the CPC in leading the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country to inherit the legacy of revolutionary martyrs, seek happiness for the Chinese people, and seek rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Among them, there is a relief that reflects the May Fourth Movement.
Relief of the May Fourth Movement at the base of the Monument to the People's Heroes
Let's look at the relief of the "May Fourth Movement", the background is Tiananmen Square and the Red Flag, and the central figures are two young students, a man and a woman. The young man shook his fist to his right and shouted indignantly; the young woman entered the crowd to distribute leaflets, and the rest of the crowd gathered around the central figure. Although there is no smoke and flames of war in the reliefs, and there are no people carrying guns to fight, it still makes people strongly feel the enthusiastic and heroic passion and the spiritual strength of the people who are eager to forge ahead.
Next, I would like to introduce you to a song - "May Fourth Commemorative Patriotic Song". On May 4, 1924, on the day of commemorating the fifth anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, lyrics were composed by patriotic intellectual Zhao Guojun and composed by Xiao Youmei. This song is fierce and full of pride, showing the heroic spirit of the may fourth enthusiastic youth, and the fighting spirit of "fighting for national power abroad, punishing national thieves at home, and revitalizing rivers and mountains" for the Chinese nation.
After the May Fourth Movement, the heart of youth stirred china, the wind of youth blew Kyushu, and the powerful youthful temperament brought by the prophet of the youth revolution began to penetrate into the whole country, beginning to change this nation, the people and the political party, and the wonderful century was unveiled, the image of ancient China began to change, and the world charm of Chinese culture began to recover!
Author: Wu Qing, Professor, Central Youth League School (China Youth University of Political Science).
This article is excerpted from the text of the propagandist network "Wu Qing: ["Theory + People + Literature and Art" Characteristic Propaganda] Integrating Youth Struggle into the Cause of the Party and the People"