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 from different sectors of the society and different parts of the world despite 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 stories of China in the new era.
Therefore, 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.
In this installment, representatives from a volunteer teaching team at a remote primary school in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, who recently received a reply letter from Xi, shared their stories of committing themselves to the western region, serving the border areas while promoting ethnic unity and progress.
In the remote areas of vast western China, educational resources are not as developed as those in the eastern coastal regions. However, children in these regions have an equal right to education. To help bridge the gap, many young volunteers have set aside their studies or temporary jobs and left behind comfortable urban lives to travel to these areas, choosing to grow alongside the children and offer them opportunities for a broader and brighter future.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on Chinese youth to dedicate themselves to the country's modernization drive by serving where the nation needs them most, the Xinhua News Agency reported on May 3. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to a group of volunteer teachers working in a remote border school in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
On the occasion of China's Youth Day that falls on May 4, Xi extended festive greetings to young people across the country and expressed high expectations for their contributions in the letter.
He commended the volunteers who are serving at a primary school in Karajol Township, Artux City, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture. The village school is located just 47 kilometers from China's border.
"You have responded to the Party's call by teaching in the western border areas, where your efforts have not only promoted local education and ethnic unity but also contributed to prosperity and stability along the border," Xi said.
According to Xinhua, the volunteers wrote to Xi to share their experiences and reaffirm their commitment to serving in China's border areas.
Life-changing deeds
Xieyite Primary School, a village-level school made up primarily of Kirgiz ethnic group students, is home to nearly 300 pupils, most of whom are children of border patrol officers. These officers have safeguarded the country's "western gate" for generations, according to a report by People's Daily.
In August 2022, 23 volunteers from across the country participating in the "Go West" program arrived at Xieyite Primary School, embarking on their journey of teaching local students.
Launched in 2003 by the Central Committee of the China Communist Youth League (CCYL), the "Go West" program is a collaborative endeavor that aims to send university graduates to volunteer in education, health, agriculture, and social management sectors in the country's western region for a period of one to three years.
At Xieyite Primary School, after three years of volunteer teaching and with all the efforts of the volunteers, the school has seen a marked improvement in educational quality.
The volunteer team, with an average age of just 24, was awarded the China Youth May Fourth Medal - the highest honor for Chinese youths aged 14 to 40 - granted by the CCYL and the All-China Youth Federation this year.
In April, the school leadership and all 23 members of the volunteer team wrote a letter to President Xi, reporting on their experiences teaching in the border region and expressing their determination to take root in the west and serve the frontier areas, according to a report released by the local publicity department on its official WeChat account.
Soon, the volunteers received this significant reply letter from Xi.
This is a holiday memory that will remain unforgettable for youths in Xinjiang and across the country, volunteer Wang Yizhi told the Global Times.
"Every single word in the letter conveys the expectations and trust that the Chinese leader has placed in our generation," said fellow volunteer Yan Zefeng. "Serving where the nation needs them most - this sentence reaffirmed that our original choice was the right one."
Two years ago, when Gao Chao learned he had been assigned to teach at Xieyite Primary School, he knew almost nothing about it.
At the time, Gao Chao had just graduated from the Shanxi Datong University in North China's Shanxi.
Upon arriving in Xinjiang region, Gao Chao stood at the front of the classroom for the first time. Before her sat a second-grade class, the students neatly seated at their desks, eyes wide with curiosity.
Gao Chao set a simple goal for herself: To teach each lesson well.
She noticed that the herders' children struggled to understand common math problems using examples like "getting on and off the bus." So she localized the content, turning them into sheep-counting problems: "There were a certain number of sheep in the pen, some were let out in the morning, and some came back in the evening. How many are there now?"
As a new teacher, Gao Chao realized how much she needed to learn. She kept refining his course plans, watching expert teaching videos online, and gradually, she grew into a capable and committed educator.
In addition to academic improvement, the arrival of volunteers has also broadened the students' horizons.
Gao Shuxian, a young woman also from Shanxi, joined Xieyite Primary School in 2023.
At first, she discovered that most students had never traveled farther than Kashi city. Their exposure to the outside world was minimal.
From then on, during every school break, Gao Shuxian would take photos and videos on her journey home to share with her students.
Moreover, in August 2024, with the help of sponsorship, she and three other teachers took 12 students from the school on a study tour to Beijing.
For many of the children, it was their first time leaving the remote region - and their first glimpse of the wider world.
Dilizhada's most vivid memory was visiting Peking University, where she saw students radiating with confidence. "I used to think my life would be like that of my parents - living in the mountains forever. But after this trip, I realized college life is full of experiences. If I study hard now, I will have more choices in the future," she said.
Heart-to-heart experience
In the process of rooting themselves in the borderland primary school, these volunteers have also formed deep bonds with the children and their families, embodying the spirit of ethnic unity.
Nuerbiye, a native of Korla city in central Xinjiang, came to Xieyite Primary School in 2022 after graduating from the Xinjiang Agricultural University.
As a member of the Uygur ethnic group, she understands the importance of mastering Putonghua, China's national language. "Helping the children learn Putonghua well means they will be able to communicate no matter where they go in the future," she said.
To support the students' language learning, Nuerbiye and other volunteers bought storybooks to encourage reading and used their spare time to teach the children to recite ancient Chinese poems. After nearly three years of effort, the students at Xieyite Primary School can now speak fluent Putonghua.
Nuerbiye's dedication has won the appreciation of both students and parents. One parent even gave her a traditional Kirgiz dress during a home visit so I could experience local culture. In return, she gave the family a traditional Uygur Atlas fabric as a gift. "Since we arrived, teachers and students of different ethnic groups have lived and worked together in harmony."
Yan, another volunteer teacher at the school, is known among the students as their warm-hearted "big brother."
He carefully observes the children's learning habits and pays regular home visits, always quick to notice their needs. "It's important to understand what's going on inside their hearts."
One mischievous boy shared that he had once been mocked by classmates because of his parents' divorce. He was in low spirits until Yan noticed he had not spoken all day. Yan quietly organized a themed class meeting on "how to get along with classmates," encouraging mutual support and empathy.
Yan also asked students to write down their wish lists: Pens, notebooks, dictionaries, gloves… "Their wishes are so simple," he said. "One student even wrote, 'I hope my teacher stays healthy and happy.'" Yan admitted that seeing such pure hopes made it hard for him to ever let them down.
The school's nearly 300 students are mostly the children of border patrollers. "Seeing how hard these families work to guard the border, I always feel like I haven't done enough," Yan told the Global Times.
In his letter, Xi noted that more young people have chosen to serve as volunteers in the country's western regions and rural areas over the years, demonstrating their spirit of dedication and sense of responsibility.
He urged the young people to stand firm in their ideals and convictions, cultivate patriotism, develop outstanding skills, and work hard to contribute to Chinese modernization.
Since 2003, the "Go West" program has attracted over 540,000 college graduates and post-graduates engaging in voluntary service at more than 2,000 county-level areas, according to the CYLC, Xinhua reported in July 2024.
For Nuerbiye, as she spent more time with her students, she found that the children had grown attached to her - and she to them. She has since renewed her volunteer contract twice.
"This July will mark the end of my three-year maximum term. No matter how hard it is to part, I will have to leave. But more people will come to take my place," she said.
This article first appeared in the Global Times:
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202505/1333524.shtml
Company: Global Times
Contact Person: Anna Li
Email: editor@globaltimes.com.cn
Website: https://globaltimes.cn
City: Beijing
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