Chinese people believe that letters are as valuable as gold. For thousands of years, letters, across mountains and oceans, have been delivering the writers' sentiments and conveying friendship and expectations.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, has managed to find time to reply to some letters sent to him from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite of his busy work schedule.
Through his letters, Xi has corresponded with people from all walks of life on numerous occasions, part of a series of excellent China stories in the new era.
The Global Times traced and contacted some of the recipients of Xi's letters, to hear the inspiring stories behind the letters and their communications with the Chinese president.
Soldiers from the People's Armed Police Force unit patrol the Nanjing Road in Shanghai during the Spring Festival holidays in 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Lin Jianjie
In downtown Shanghai, soldiers from a People's Armed Police Force unit solemnly raised the Chinese national flag at People's Square as the first rays of sunshine shone on them. Meanwhile, another group of soldiers started their patrol duty on Nanjing Road, one of the most bustling commercial streets in the metropolis.
The unit took over the duties of the "Good Eighth Company on Nanjing Road" in 1982. The Eighth Company, and the unit as well, is known for its fine traditions of resisting erosion and serving the people wholeheartedly.
"We took over the duties of the Eighth Company, and inherited their spirit and soul," said Yang Zenan, an officer from the unit.
Since stationed in Shanghai in 1949, generations of the soldiers of the Eighth Company had always maintained appropriate conduct, serving people wholeheartedly. Soldiers began to perform patrol duty on Nanjing Road in 1949.
About one year ago, soldiers of People's Armed Police Force unit wrote a letter to President Xi to report their progress in studying the CPC history and expressed firm faith and determination to resolutely implement the instructions from Xi and faithfully fulfill their mission.
In the spring of 2022, Xi replied to the letter from the Shanghai unit, calling on the armed police forces to always serve as the faithful guardian of the CPC and the people.
In his letter, Xi praised the unit for its honorable tradition and achievements in learning the Party's history, and called for carrying forward the Great Founding Spirit of the CPC.
Since 1998, officers of the unit have spent their weekends and holidays explaining the Party's history to the visitors at the site of the first CPC National Congress in Shanghai, giving over 76,000 lectures to more than 4.5 million visitors.
The site is part of a memorial that chronicles the founding of the CPC as well as the Party's efforts and achievements over the past 100 years.
The unit was identified as the national model of "Learning Party History and Building Loyalty" in 2021.
Soldiers from the "Lei Feng squad" of the unit do haircut for local residents free of charge on Nanjing Road in Shanghai in February 2023. Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Ming
Learning Party history, building loyalty
The officers from the unit were extremely excited to receive the reply letter from President Xi and have earnestly learned it in the past year.
"We were so excited to receive the reply letter. I'm very proud of it. It also made me realize that learning Party history and lecturing Party history are very meaningful," Luo Zi'ang, one of the letter writers, told the Global Times.
In the letter, "I reported my growth through learning Party history and expressed my determination to be a good narrator of Party history and faithful guardian of the CPC and the people," Luo said.
Luo joined armed police force in 2020, when he was a sophomore at Shanghai-based Tongji University. He became a Party history narrator the following year after going through several rounds of selection.
"I found that my personality has been cultivated amid my experience as a Party history narrator at the site of the first CPC National Congress, as I had been a shy person and was afraid of history learning in the past," Luo said.
However, learning Party history and spreading knowledge about CPC to others made him realize the importance of learning history to a person's development. "In the process of learning Party history, I was gradually illuminated to establish a clear plan for my future life," Luo said.
Luo is currently continuing his study at Tongji University, majoring in new-energy vehicle (NEV) technology. In the course of his studies, Luo realized that China has faced tough challenges in developing high-level technology in many sectors including the automobile industry.
The spirit of persistent efforts during the process "strengthens me" to focus on scientific and technological innovation, and the spirit also "inspires me to make my own contributions" in promoting the country's high-quality development, Luo said.
Soldiers from the People's Armed Police Force unit raise the Chinese national flag at People's Square in Shanghai on February 24, 2023. Photo: Chen Xia/GT
Inheriting Lei Feng Spirit
While making good use of "the red resources," all the officers of the unit vigorously promoted Party history learning and engaged in activities both online and offline, said Yang, an officer from the unit, during a speech on February 23 to elaborate on the unit's achievements in the previous year.
The unit took care of 27 elderly residents who live by themselves, 12 disabled people and 15 families of servicemen and martyrs in 2022. In addition, they have helped 16 poverty-stricken students return to school.
Since 1982, the "Lei Feng squad" from the unit has been providing services for people on Nanjing Road on the 20th day of every month. They offer assistance with shoe repairs, haircuts, knife sharpening, as well as health, legal, and psychological counseling.
Yan Zhaoyu, one soldier from the "Lei Feng squad," who was born after the year 2000, told the Global Times that in his opinion, the spirit of Lei Feng embodies dedication. He believes that this spirit should be carried forward and spread, especially among Chinese youths.
Yan hopes that more people can remember that there are many individuals who are dedicated to our motherland, and he wants to spread this spirit to more people.
