In celebration of China's Youth Day, youngsters across the country are organizing various themed activities to inherit the May Fourth spirit.
China's Youth Day, which falls on May 4 every year, marks the anniversary of the May Fourth Movement in China, a monumental youth movement that ignited profound social changes in the country.
In the new era, Chinese youth are expected to carry on the May Fourth spirit, which refers to patriotism, progress, democracy and science, with patriotism at the core, and bear their responsibility to strive for national rejuvenation.
On this year's Youth Day, the current young generation in China has adapted many ways to shape their future and chase their dreams.
In recent days, ceremonies of joining the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) have been held in east China's Shandong Province, northwest China's Gansu Province, east China's Jiangsu Province, east China's Jiangxi Province, and other places.
New members have solemnly pledged and joined the CYLC. Through activities such as visiting and listening to revolutionary stories, they have gained their insight into the May Fourth spirit.
In addition, in Shanghai, central China's Henan Province, northwest China's Qinghai Province, and others, many ideological and political classes have been held for young people, where young role models narrated their stories of struggle to inspire the youth to carry on the patriotic spirit and cultivate a sense of serving the country.
Young volunteers from Renmin University of China visited Bayi School in Fuping County of north China's Hebei Province, bringing special interest courses such as music, fine arts, and scientific experiments to the students, igniting the dreams in the hearts of the children.
"During this process, I also gained a lot. I will continue to help more children, helping them to see a broader and richer world," said Fu Meilian, a student volunteer from Renmin University of China.
Meanwhile, the CYLC, focusing on youth development, has continuously organized numerous recruitment events online and offline in south China's Guangdong Province, central China's Hunan Province, and others, providing employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for college graduates and young people in a bid to keep the country's youth employment at a stable level.
The CYLC had around 75.32 million members by the end of 2024, including about 6.42 million members newly added last year, the CYLC said on Saturday.
The May Fourth Movement started with mass student protests on May 4, 1919, against the government's response to the Treaty of Versailles that imposed unfair treaties on China and undermined the country's sovereignty after the World War I. It then triggered a national campaign to overthrow the old society and promote new ideas, including science, democracy and Marxism.
Two years later, the Communist Party of China (CPC) was founded.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, May 4 was formally designated as China's Youth Day.
The May Fourth Movement is widely considered a great patriotic and revolutionary campaign pioneered by advanced young intellectuals and joined by people from all walks of life to resolutely fight imperialism and feudalism.
The movement has inspired the ambition and confidence of the Chinese people and nation to realize national rejuvenation.
Youth Day marked across China
