"If the young people are strong, the country will be strong. I will learn from the predecessors, and make contributions to national development in the future," said a Spring Bud girl from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region during her visit to the Memorial Hall of the PLA Military Academy of Engineering in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, in this July.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force and the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) jointly kicked off the Blue Sky Spring Bud summer camp on national defense education in Harbin on July 20.
The five-day summer camp drew the attendance of 20 Spring Bud girls from Xinjiang, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and northeast China's Jilin Province. During their visit to the Memorial Hall of the PLA Military Academy of Engineering, the Space Museum at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), and the PLA Air Force Harbin Flight Academy, they learned about the development of the PLA Air Force, gained a deep understanding of the spirit of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army Aviation School, and nurtured a deep love for the country and its national defense cause.
Since its establishment in 1953, the PLA Military Academy of Engineering closely followed the development of Chinese heavy industries, national defense and aviation cause. During the past decades, generations of teachers and students from the academy have firmly adhered to its founding principles, remained true to their original aspirations and become an important force in promoting self-reliance and strength in science and technology.
The girls were impressed by the yellowed blueprints, notebooks and other exhibited items in the memorial hall.
"What touches me most is the perseverance and hardworking spirit of our ancestors. They made noticeable achievements and filled numerous gaps in the aviation sector with hand-cranked calculators and hand-drawn designs in the first several decades after the founding of the People's Republic of China. We shall always take them as an example," said Xiao Hong (pseudonym), a Spring Bud girl, said.
The History Museum of the PLA Air Force Harbin Flight Academy exhibited over 22,000 precious photographs and 680 artifacts. The girls lingered over the exhibits and took photos with high aspirations.
The summer camp also brought them to the HIT Space Museum, which housed the Long March-1 carrier rocket and other objects.
Watching these objects that have soared into the space, Xiao Rui (pseudonym), a Spring Bud girl, said that behind every success lies unwavering persistence.
The interactive exhibits and interesting space experience projects at Heilongjiang Science and Technology Museum ignited the girl's enthusiasm to explore science.
The summer camp also took the girls to the former site of the Northeast Democratic Allied Army Aviation School in Mudanjiang City, which is the cradle of the PLA Air Force.
Li Renmin, an expert on national defense education, spoke with the girls about the glorious achievements and touching stories of old-generation aviation workers.
The five-day summer camp has planted the seeds of serving the country through aviation into every girl's heart.
Photos from CCTF
(Source: CCTF/Women of China)
Editor: Lei Yang
