Youth keep resistance spirit alive

A livestreamed event was held Monday at the Hundred-Regiment Campaign Memorial Hall in Yangquan, Shanxi province, bringing together young members of the Communist Party of China, Communist Youth League members and Chinese Young Pioneers to reflect on the history of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

Described as "a mobile ideological and political class", the event featured guided commentary, a short lesson on Party history, a ceremony honoring martyrs and an oath renewal.

It was part of the memorial hall's efforts to make revolutionary history education more engaging through youth-led volunteer guide programs.

Over the past year, the venue has received more than 640,000 visitors from China and abroad and provided more than 3,000 guided tours, reflecting the growing popularity of revolutionary tourism in the region.

During a visit there on July 7, 2025, President Xi Jinping emphasized the importance of telling stories of the war and passing on its spirit to future generations.

For Li Qi, the museum guide who provided on-site commentary during President Xi's visit, the experience remains deeply meaningful.

The 28-year-old Yangquan native has worked at the memorial hall for 10 years.

"I grew up hearing stories of the battle," she said. "President Xi's remarks have guided my work ever since."

The memorial hall commemorates one of the most significant campaigns of the war. Eighty-six years ago, the area now known as Yangquan became the center of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign, a large-scale counteroffensive launched by the Eighth Route Army under the leadership of the CPC.

The operation began on Aug 20,1940, involved 105 regiments and lasted more than five months, ending in January 1941.

"Over the course of 1,824 battles, the campaign killed or wounded 20,645 Japanese troops," Li said during the livestream. "It was the largest and longest strategic offensive carried out by the Eighth Route Army in North China during the war."

The victory came at a heavy cost. The Eighth Route Army suffered about 17,000 casualties in the campaign. The memorial hall records 28 martyrs of regimental rank or higher who died in the fighting, with an average age of just over 20.

To make the history more accessible, Yangquan has developed educational programs around its revolutionary heritage, including the main battlefield of the Hundred-Regiment Campaign and the site of the first city established under CPC leadership.

It has also developed initiatives such as the "Red Scarf Commentators" program, in which Young Pioneers volunteer as guides during holidays, helping them move from learning history to telling local revolutionary stories.

One of the young commentators is 11-year-old Feng Yuwen, a student at Pingding County Experimental Primary School.

During the Hundred-Regiment Campaign, the Eighth Route Army rescued two orphaned Japanese girls, Kato Mihoko and her baby sister, from artillery fire while attacking the Jingxing Coal Mine in neighboring Hebei province, a story Feng often shares with visitors.

"Compared with the barbaric crimes committed by the Japanese invaders in China, the humanitarian spirit of the CPC and the Eighth Route Army has never faded," she said. "That is why I especially like telling this story."

To further engage younger audiences, the memorial hall has launched several digital exhibitions and is building a glasses-free 3D exhibition that uses holographic technology to recreate scenes from the war, offering visitors a more immersive learning experience.

The event also highlighted Yangquan's broader efforts to encourage youth participation in community service.

"We focus on providing ideological guidance for young people, while doing our best to organize and support them," said Yue Wei, deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee of Pingding county. "We hope more young people can develop their talents and find opportunities in their hometowns."

Yue said many volunteers from the national "Go West" program — an initiative that encourages young graduates to serve in China's central and western regions — have come to Yangquan from across Shanxi province. Some have chosen to stay after completing their service.

Among them is Yue Yanyan, a 26-year-old volunteer who attended Monday's event.

Born in Xinzhou, Shanxi province, Yue Yanyan joined the Communist Youth League Committee of Yangquan after graduating from Shanxi Institute of Technology in 2025 and has since worked in local youth services.

While working on Project Hope, a public welfare program that supports students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Yue Yanyan reviewed applications for more than 100 students in need, helping them continue their education. She also took part in the selection process for awards honoring young, skilled workers, through which she met outstanding entrepreneurs from various industries in Yangquan.

"Patriotism takes different forms in different eras," she said. "The program has allowed me to contribute to my hometown's development."

Veteran Wen Yunfu, 97, said events like this help younger generations better understand the sacrifices behind today's peace.

Born in a village in Hebei province, Wen joined the Eighth Route Army in 1945 and was later assigned to an arsenal in Shijiazhuang, where he manufactured landmines and grenades and repaired weapons.

"Over the past 105 years, the CPC has led us to completely change the fate of the country, transforming old China into the strong China we see today, a country no one dares to underestimate," Wen said. "We must remember the history of the war and pass on the great spirit of the resistance from generation to generation. This is not only a tribute to the revolutionary martyrs, but also an inspiration for each of us to stand tall as proud Chinese citizens."

Today, that responsibility is increasingly being shared by a new generation.

Ren Siyi, 14, one of the young participants in the livestream, recounted the story of a heroic Eighth Route Army company later honored as the "Steel Company" after its stand at the Battle of Mohetan.

During the battle, its 145 soldiers fought a Japanese force several times their number for three days and nights. Only 17 survived.

"Although the times and historical tasks have changed, the patriotism, courage, dedication and national spirit of Chinese youth continue to endure," said Ren, a Communist Youth League member from Yangquan No 6 Middle School. "Our predecessors shed their blood to win peace and prosperity for us. As young people, we should make our own efforts to safeguard the hard-won achievements of peace and development."