Society

In 'red' refuge, spirits live, cadres dance

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-20 16:45

"In Yan'an, I feel spirits that we should never discard but instead carry on in today's society, especially those about communist ideals and beliefs," said Tong Weidong, an official from Hetian prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. "Old revolutionaries held firm belief in communist ideals, and that's why the army grew stronger and finally won the war," Tong said.

Taking advantage of its location, the Yan'an academy offers trainees lectures at revolutionary spots - in the Central Great Auditorium where some of the most important meetings were held, or near a pine tree where Chairman Mao uttered the famous saying: "All reactionaries are paper tigers." The academy says such special courses are effective in evoking revolutionary spirits in cadres of today.

It didn't take a major leap of imagination for Gu Ju, a trainee from Shanghai, to "see" what the old revolutionaries did. "When I was in the cave of Red Army College...it was as if I saw students sweep away sheep dung and dust, then sit at brick-pile tables...and listen attentively to lectures and study Marxist principles in the smelly cave," Gu wrote in an essay entitled "Contemplation in front of the Red Army College".

Hua Ruoming, an economist with Agriculture Bank of China, said on-site education provides new perspectives to the way she solves problems in everyday work. "The lectures are presented in a vivid way, which is very different from the EMBA lessons I have attended," she said.

"Many trainees shed tears at revolutionary sites, so I think they're moved from the bottom of their hearts." said Chen Yannan, executive vice-president of the academy. "Seeing the touching deeds of old revolutionaries, they will have some serious introspection." In a video showcase offered by the academy, a close-up captures tears trickling down the cheek of one middle-aged trainee.

The vice-president admitted some problems in cadres' beliefs of communist ideals nowadays, especially among younger ones. "The younger generation lives in an age distant from 'red' days and grows up with diverse values, so it's necessary to restore communist beliefs in them," Chen said.