Revolutionary past inspires the future

In a modest apartment at Jiangxi Normal University, Fu Xiuyan, former president of the school, celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Nanchang Uprising with his family.

As a descendant of a Nanchang Uprising revolutionary hero, the celebrations carry an even more special meaning for Fu and his two siblings.

On Aug 1, 1927, the Communist Party of China staged the first armed revolt against the Kuomintang in Nanchang, capital city of East China's Jiangxi province, marking the foundation of the People's Liberation Army.

Fu's father, Xu Xianzhao, took part in the revolt and witnessed the Sanheba Battle led by legendary general Zhu De two months later.

Born to a wealthy family in the northeastern part of Jiangxi, Xu joined the Communist Party of China in 1925.

"My grandfather was a renowned squire in Qianshan (a county-level city in Jiangxi), but my father didn't opt for the carefree life he was endowed with. Instead, at a young age he decided on his goal of overthrowing the powers of darkness and fighting for happiness and justice for the poor," Fu said in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

As a member of the CPC, Xu took part in the Nanchang Uprising and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xu taught at Jiangxi Normal University and later passed away aged 101.

"My father was very lucky to survive those turbulent times and he never betrayed his original faith of fighting for the poor like his peers, including Fang Zhimin, Yuan Yubing and Huang Dao," Fu said.

When asked what he has learned from his father, the 66-year-old professor smiled and said: "As his children, we usually have to be stricter with our conduct. We might not be heroes with great accomplishments, but we want to be people of kindness, truthfulness and integrity like him."

Fu's family gathering is one of the more humble celebrations next to the dazzling array of activities to mark the historical event in Nanchang, known as the City of Heroes.

On the evening of July 31, more than 100,000 Nanchang residents descended upon the newly refurbished August 1st Square and Memorial to celebrate this great event in China's revolutionary history.

A day after, China's first-generation guided missile destroyer, which is named after Nanchang, opened to the public in the city after it was decommissioned in 2016, serving in the Chinese navy for 34 years.

The short film The Place Where the Army Flag Rises — depicting the story of the uprising and birth of the PLA — is currently being screened across the sleek surfaces of 296 city buildings every evening.

Nearly 2 million people visit the Nanchang Uprising Memorial Museum every year. Roughly 21,000 visited on August 1, according to Wang Xiaoling, curator of the museum.

Nanchang has gained its fame for its glorious Red history, and a 90-year anniversary celebration is certainly necessary, according to Fu.

"However, what is more important is for people to inherit the valuable legacy of the revolutionary heroes, in particular CPC members," he added.

"Nowadays some CPC members talk a lot about clean governance and serving the people, but actions speak louder than words," Fu said