All 20 new students from the military academy who come from this high school and are encouraged by the General Secretary's reply letter

To advance the cause of building a strong military, it requires a group of ambitious young people to continue their struggle. I hope you will strengthen your loyal character, study and train hard, hone your strong work style, and strive to grow into high-quality and specialized new military talents, contributing to the modernization of national defense and the military.

In mid July, the school invited this year's graduates to return to school to participate in collective activities. This year, 20 graduates from the school have been admitted to military academies such as National University of Defense Technology, Air Force Aviation University, and Army Artillery Air Defense Force Academy, setting a new historical high. The teachers and students are all very excited, especially the students who are about to report to the military academy. A classmate suggested: With so many students interested in joining the military, let's tell the General Secretary this good news.

This proposal immediately received a response from admitting students to military academies. Each of the 20 students wrote a heartfelt message expressing their pride and honor in becoming soldiers, and stated that on the occasion of their graduation, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the military, they will definitely defend their motherland and strive to become a strong country with me.

The letter was mailed from the post office in Qianshan. These 20 new students from military academies, also carrying ideals and aspirations, have successively registered at military academies and started their military careers.

Overlooking view of Yezhai Middle School. Provided by Yezhai Middle School

Now, the General Secretary has replied. This has received a strong response from the teachers and students of Yezhai Middle School.

"For a long time, Yezhai Middle School has persisted in providing students with education on national defense and patriotism, guiding them to have a deep admiration and longing for national defense from the bottom of their hearts, cultivating students' understanding of national defense, love for national defense, and dedication to national defense. It has also received support from teachers, students, and parents." Xu Hanfu said that General Secretary's reply is an affirmation of the entire school's teachers and students, and it is also their motivation. Next, the school will keep in mind its original aspiration and mission, and continue to persistently cultivate outstanding talents for the country, especially outstanding national defense talents.

Patriotic education has always been a fine tradition in schools

The Yezhai Middle School located in Qianshan City, Anqing is unusual. It is a provincial-level demonstration high school in Anhui Province, as well as a national defense education characteristic school and a national defense education demonstration school.

The school was born during the era of anti Japanese war. In commemoration of the fallen soldiers in the Anti Japanese War, in 1943, well-known figures from thirteen counties in Anhui and Hubei provinces initiated an initiative to build tombs in the Yeren Village at the foot of Tianzhu Mountain. At the same time, in order to protect the cemetery, cultivate soldiers, orphans, and outstanding local youth, a commemorative school was also established here. Taking the meaning of "admiring loyal martyrs", it was originally named "Jingzhong Middle School" and later changed to "Yezhai Middle School".

This is also the only high school in the country that has built a school for the tomb and protected it with the school. The Anti Japanese War Martyrs Cemetery on campus was designated as the eighth batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council in 2019, and was included in the National Anti Japanese War Site Protection List in 2020.

The Monument to the Heroes of the Anti Japanese War at Yezhai Middle School. Photo by Xu Wei

"Patriotic education is a tradition in schools," Wang Baotang, the deputy principal of Yezhai Middle School, told reporters. This is first reflected in the school's activities at every festival node related to the Anti Japanese War and martyrs.

On September 3rd every year, a grand opening ceremony for new high school students is held at the Martyrs Memorial Tower Square; The last activity for high school seniors before leaving school is to bid farewell to the martyr's tombstone and take an oath

On June 9th of this year, the second day after the college entrance examination, 764 high school seniors from the 2023 cohort returned to Yezhai Middle School to bid farewell to 985 anti Japanese martyrs on campus.

In order to promote national defense education, the school has also formulated the "Great Wall Plan". "The 'Great Wall Plan' was initiated by a group of well-known military alumni from our school. Through a series of activities such as conducting national defense education, holding military lectures, forming student military clubs, and establishing the 'Great Wall Scholarship', we aim to promote the spirit of the martyrs' resistance against Japan and save the country, and cultivate more national defense reserve talents for the country," said Xu Hanfu.

Over the years, there have been many students admitted to military academies in the college entrance examination at Yezhai High School. There were 7 students in 2021, 12 students in 2022, and 20 students this year. In the past three years, there have been 39 new students from the military academy who graduated from Yezhai Middle School.

Pan Xinyi, a student from Yezhai Middle School who has just entered her third year of high school, has become even more determined to apply for military academies. She said, "The reply from General Secretary has deeply moved me. As a student of Yezhai Middle School, I feel very proud and even more envious of my senior brothers and sisters being able to go to their desired military academy. I will continue to study hard and apply for military academies in the future, making my own contribution to the national defense cause."