At the Turn of History

By Wang Hairong

On the waterfront of coastal Qingdao City in east Chinas Shandong Province， a gigantic flame-colored monument in the shape of spiraling up wind stands against a backdrop of meadows， trees and skyscrapers. The monument， expressing an upbeat and dynamic tone， is dedicated to the May Fourth Movement of 1919， a patriotic and revolutionary national campaign pioneered by advanced young intellectuals and joined by people from all walks of life to resolutely fight imperialism and feudalism.

A century ago， the charming and vibrant city of Qingdao was vied for by Germany and Japan. The Paris Peace Conference， held on the heels of the end of World War I， adopted the Treaty of Versailles which transferred Germanys colonial concessions in Qingdao and other parts of Shandong to Japan rather than returning them to China. It was a blow to China， which took part in the meeting as a victor. The news led to mass protests in Beijing， then known as Peking， on May 4， 1919. Demonstrations also broke out in several other cities， followed by labor strikes and boycott of Japanese goods.

Eventually， China declined to sign the Treaty of Versailles. In 1922， Shandong including Qingdao was returned to China according to a decision of the Washington Conference.

The May Fourth Movement was a great social revolutionary movement launched by the Chinese people to save the nation from subjugation， safeguard national dignity and pool national strength together， Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a commemorative gathering in Beijing on April 30.

Enduring legacy

Xi， also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China（CPC） and Chairman of the Central Military Commission， stressed that the May Fourth Movement gave birth to the great spirit centered on patriotism， progress， democracy and science， with patriotism at the core.

“As long as the banner of patriotism is being held high， the Chinese people can unleash great powers in the endeavors to transform China and the world，” he said.

The May Fourth Movement was also a great enlightenment and new cultural movement of disseminating new thought， new culture and new knowledge. More and more Chinese pioneers had since embraced Marxism. Two years later， the CPC was founded in 1921， opening a new chapter in Chinese history.

In 1949， the Peoples Republic of China was founded. Under the leadership of the CPC， the Chinese nation has achieved a tremendous transformation： It has stood up， grown rich， and is becoming strong.

Hopes of the nation

In the century after the May Fourth Movement， generations of Chinese people have devoted their beautiful youthful years to the nation and people， Xi said. Specifically， he urged them to cherish lofty ideals， love the country， shoulder their social responsibility， work hard， hone abilities and cultivate moral character.

Chen Yao， a software designer for the Change-4 lunar probe， told the media， “Every youth should have a patriotic heart， dedicate the most precious youthful years to our beloved motherland， and accomplish the glorious tasks entrusted to us by the Party and the people.”

At the beginning of this year， the lunar probe made the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon. Scientists working on the Change and Shenzhou space programs are young， with an average age of 33， and the team members working on the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System are 35 years old on average， Xi said.

Li Baiyu， a scientist in the BeiDou team， said he and his colleagues are encouraged by Xis mentioning of them as an example of innovative young people. He said they will serve the people and contribute to the country with their knowledge and skills， and through innovation.