A group of 120 Spring Bud girls from Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Northeast China's Jilin Province as well as Harbin, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, attended a six-day Spring Bud girls' music literacy camp, under the Spring Bud Girls' Sci-Tech and Music Literacy Advancement Project, in Harbin in January 2026.
The camp event helped Spring Bud girls boost self-confidence, gain friendship, broaden horizons, and acquire new skills.
In a training classroom of Heilongjiang Women and Children's Development Center, the tender voices of the girls gradually became more clear and harmonious. They got familiar with musical score, practiced vocal techniques and embarked on a musical journey.
It was the first time for many girls from Wa'er School Spring Bud Dream Chorus in Liangshan's Xide County to walk out of their hometown. Older girls always took care of the younger ones, and offered them patient guidance in rehearsals.
Girls of Jilin's Longjing Experimental Primary School Chorus looked young, but they were remarkably disciplined and confident when they sang songs.
The 120 girls, who came from different places, learned from each other and honed their teamwork skills. Their lucid voice converged into a warm stream and conveyed common aspiration for a better life. Their eyes were filled with surprise and pride.
Beyond the influence of music, the amazing experience with technologies and intangible cultural heritages opened a new window for the girls to learn more about the world.
In the Aerospace Museum of the Harbin Institute of Technology, the girls expressed their admiration when they looked at aerospace models and satellites and listened to the introduction of the remarkable development of the Chinese aerospace industry. "I will study hard in the future and explore more mysteries of the universe," said a girl Yuqi from the Spring Bud Dream Chorus of Chengguan No.5 Primary School in Ningxia's Pingluo County.
This visit has allowed the seeds of "serving the country through science and technology" to take root in the children's hearts.
In the sci-tech classroom, the AI robot Xiaozhi became the most popular companion among the girls. It was cute and could hold dialogues with them. Cheers erupted at the class when it gave intelligent and clear answers to their questions. After the class, the girls hugged their self-made AI robots as if holding a hard-won prize. With pride and happiness on the face, they showed to each other their Xiaozhi that can sing songs and respond to various questions.
The girls also made fridge magnets using Song brocades and Miao ethnic silver ornaments during a handicraft activity.
Thanks to their hard work and perseverance, Spring Bud girls made leapfrog progress in musical theories and chorus skills. During a flash mob show in front of the Harbin Grand Theater, they performed the song One Dream in the Ice and Snow World. Their smile grew much brighter when the passers-by took photos of them and gave thumbs-up.
The presentation show in the Qunli Music Hall on January 27 marked the highlight of the camp event.
Girls of Wa'er School Spring Bud Dream Chorus performed a traditional Yi ethnic folk song. The crisp rustling sound made by their silvery ornaments blended with their clear melodious singing. Girls of Longjing Experimental Primary School Chorus performed two songs, conveying their love for the country. Girls of Chengguan No.5 Primary School presented a song portraying the grandeur of the country's natural landscapes.
The Spring Bud Dream Chorus with Xiangfang Extracurricular Education Center performed the song Ice and Snow Warming the World, which was also given by its members at the flame collection ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games on January 20, 2025. At last, all the girls joined the Children's Chorus with Heilongjiang Women and Children's Development Center to perform a song together, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
This winter study tour was a new starting point for Spring Bud girls to chase dreams. With broad vision and steadfast courage, they will march ahead steadily and write a brilliant chapter in their life.
In 2021, the Tencent Foundation donated to the China Children and Teenagers' Fund and the two sides jointly launched the Spring Bud Girls' Sci-Tech and Music Literacy Advancement Project. It has developed online and offline public welfare approaches with emphases on inclusive education and targeted training to illuminate girls' growth path with science, technology and arts. To date, the charitable initiative has covered over 50 schools in 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, delivering benefits to nearly 10,000 girls.
(The names of all girls in this article are pseudonyms.)
Photos from CCTF
(Source: CCTF/Women of China)
Editor: Wang Shasha
