Students from Xinjiang get war lessons on study tour

For the 16 students of Xieyite Primary School, nestled in a remote border area in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, this summer was unlike any other.

They embarked on a study tour, crossing over 4,000 kilometers to Shanxi province, a land rich with history of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). For these children, it was a journey of discovery, connecting them to the past in a profound and unforgettable way.

On Aug 9, standing atop Shinao Mountain in Yangquan city — the main battlefield of the Hundred Regiments Offensive — 11-year-old Jarkenay Keranbek, an ethnic Kirgiz student, gained a deeper understanding of the war.

"This is the first time I've ever left Xinjiang," she said, her eyes wide with wonder. "Before, when I read stories about the war in the library, it all felt so distant. But now, standing in the very place where the Hundred Regiments Offensive took place, I can almost see the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army charging into battle. I truly feel their courage and fearlessness.

"I want to be like them, dedicating my strength to my country and my hometown when I grow up."

The journey began with the 2025 Shanxi-Xinjiang Youth Exchange Summer Camp launching in Taiyuan, bringing together the students and teachers from the elementary school with volunteer representatives from Shanxi's western China volunteer program. The itinerary was a carefully curated blend of cultural exploration, scientific discovery, inspiration of patriotism, and, most importantly, the forging of friendships.

The Xieyite Primary School, situated just 47 km from the border, holds a special place as the first pilot school supported by the western China volunteer program in the Kizilsu Kirgiz autonomous prefecture. For the children at the school, Shanxi was more than just a place on the map; it was their volunteer teachers' homeland. This summer imagination about the place became reality for the 16 students.

Wang Tianrui, a Shanxi volunteer, said, "When I was teaching in Xinjiang, I often used maps and stories to explain the significance of the Hundred Regiments Offensive to our students."

The Hundred Regiments Offensive, launched on the evening of Aug 20, 1940, was a major campaign led by the Eighth Route Army. Lasting over four months, it was the largest and longest offensive in North China during the war, significantly boosting the morale of the Chinese people and bolstering their confidence in victory.

Another Shanxi volunteer, Gao Shuxian, added, "In the future, I want to do everything I can to share more knowledge with the children in the border areas, to integrate the history into my lessons."

During the visit, the teachers and students of the school stood solemnly before the Hundred Regiments Offensive Monument, offering deep bows and laying flowers in remembrance of the fallen heroes.

Eleven-year-old student, Gul Tumar Balekya, said, "When I return to school, I will tell my classmates everything I've seen and learned here, not just the fun parts, but especially the history of the war."

Muradil Esan Tur, principal of the school, said: "This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the war against Japanese aggression and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. At this special time, I hope that the children can deeply absorb the culture of the Red revolution through this study tour, planting the seeds of patriotism deep within their hearts and truly understanding that the happy lives they enjoy today were hard-earned."

Zhao Jing, deputy secretary of the Shanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and chairman of the Shanxi Provincial Youth Federation, emphasized that the purpose of the summer camp was to promote interaction, exchange, and integration between young people from Shanxi and Xinjiang, and to further consolidate the sense of community of the Chinese nation.

"I hope that the children, while broadening their horizons, will jointly inherit and promote the great spirit of the war of resistance," she said.

Zhao Yunzhuo contributed to this story.