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Editor's Note: The third SCNU English writing contest, themed "Telling China's Story", ended with 422 entries from 33 different schools. We congratulate all prize winners on their outstanding performance. Awarded winners have been announced (see results), and all winning entries will be published in this column.
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By Chen Jiaxi
Published nearly one century ago, Red Star Over China, a book by Edgar Snow, tells the vivid story of red China to the world and attracted the eyes of people around the globe. From then on, as a red sun rises in the east and a dragon wakes from slumber, China has gradually stepped into the international arena, glittering under the spotlight.
China's stories are stories regarding faith and original aspiration. As is depicted in the poem of Zheng Banqiao, the bamboo standing upright in the green mountains, rooting in the broken rock, remains strong and firm though struck and beaten. Bamboo, symbolizing the noble quality of Chinese national spirit, persists, and so does the Chinese nation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, is a long-cherished wish from generation to generation and the original aspiration which remains the same in memory of eventful years.
During the time of wars, China's stories written by martyrs focus on faith and original aspiration. Mao Anying, whose father was Chairman Mao, is considered "not as the leader's son, but an as common warrior". With his faith in defending our homeland, he insisted on joining the army, becoming the first volunteer of the Chinese people's Volunteer Army, and gave his life heroically on the battlefield of the Korean War. In today's peaceful time, a new chapter focusing on faith and original aspiration will be written by youngsters of our generation. During the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, three students from South China Normal University represented China to participate in the Games. As the torch of faith and original aspiration which never extinguish passes from generation to generation, China will continue its glorious story generation after generation which will never come to an end.
China's stories are stories concerning mission and responsibility. In June 2021, a herd of wild elephants wandering hundreds of miles in Yunnan triggered widespread public interest. This "tour group" of elephants blissfully strolled through villages, and had a good meal in "elephant canteens" humans created for them. It received thousands of "likes" on social media. Hundreds of police force and cars were deployed to monitor the herd's passage, tons of food was used to feed the elephants, and local residents were evacuated orderly. Authorities put a premium on the protection of wild elephants and people so that no conflict has been reported.
All of these stories portray a vivid picture of humans and nature living in harmony, and behind the harmonious picture is China's great effort at global ecological protection. With mission and responsibility on its shoulders, China keeps people's welfare close to heart and pursues the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind.
China's stories are stories about amazing speed and power. Like numerous bright stars shimming in the night sky, there are countless miracles sparkling in the scroll of China's stories. On Mount Qomolangma, known to western people as Mount Everest, there stands a 5G base station built by China, which enables ordinary people to watch the gorgeous sight of sunrise over the Himalayas and climbers to send signals for help when hostile weather hits. On the expansive land of Africa, lie railways China constructed for African countries, which provide export channels for abundant resources such as minerals and agricultural products as well as help to gear up local economic growth, there. Above Hangzhou Bay, there is the third longest trans-oceanic bridge in the world. In the boundless universe, Beidou, Micius, and Wukong, form a cluster of satellites as the galaxy glitters in all its glory.
During the time when the epidemics raged, three hospitals, Xiaotangshan, Leishenshan, and Huoshenshan, were built within 10 days. Stretching across the vast territory of China, the West-East natural gas transmission project and the South-North water transfer project have effectively improved resource utilization. From sky-high to the deep sea, from peaceful times to the pandemic period, Chinese miracles can be seen everywhere. Without saying a word, all of these great Chinese constructions are telling China’s stories about speed and power to the entire globe.
As the voice of China getting more and more powerful as well as China’s stories spread more and more widely, an increasing number of insightful people all around the globe have expressed admiration and appreciation for remarkable achievements that today's China has achieved.
Telling China's stories is like a long-distance relay run. Brilliant and honorable histories have been written by our predecessors while a new chapter is awaiting us, vibrant as well as ingenious students of SCNU, to create new stories in this booming new era.
In this relay run, the baton of inheriting and developing China's stories has already been passed on to our generation. As vigorous and proudful youth powered with lofty ambition, the duty of exerting infinite creativity to unfold the brand new page of China's stories has already fallen on our shoulders. By showing Chinese traditional crafts and food as well as leisurely lifestyles in videos, Li Ziqi paints a peaceful picture of rural life and arouses a sea of foreign netizens' yearning for life in China.
As the news that the Chinese team Edward Gaming won the global championship in the 2021 League of Legends World Championship spread all over the world, China's stories also spread around the globe because electronic sports are a common language that does not require translation among people from varying nations. Every year, thousands of graduates walk out of the school gates of SCNU, and become teachers who cultivate the flowers of our nation, social workers who devote themselves to serving society, or scientific researchers who lay a solid foundation for national development. Although we play different roles in society and spread the voice of China in various ways, our mission of telling China's stories well remains the same.
Listen, the dragon in the ancient orient is roaring. Look, China is standing among the nations of the world. In the new chapter, let us stride hand in hand, and continue to write China's stories in the new era!
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