Remembering the Years of Youth: Xi Jinping Talks About Two Lessons That Have Benefited Him for Life
Xi Jinping's experience in Liangjiahe: practical work tempered his will, and he drew deep inspiration from his sense of attachment to the people and spirit of striving Revisiting his youth and growth insights, and understanding the power of faith, dreams, and dedication
On May 4, China News Service reported that in 2004, Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, gave an exclusive interview to Yan'an TV, in which he reviewed his youth experience of living and working as an educated youth in Liangjiahe, Yan'an, Shaanxi, and spoke about the profound impact that period of his life had on him.
In 1969, Xi Jinping, who was not yet 16, came to Liangjiahe and successively went through farming, building dams, carrying manure, and other labor. In the harsh environment, he underwent training and growth in labor, daily life, and ideology, and gradually became one with the local people. At the age of 20, he was elected secretary of the Party branch of the production brigade, and later led the villagers to build Shaanxi's first biogas digester.
In one article, Xi Jinping summed up that his seven years in northern Shaanxi brought him two most important gains: first, he came to understand the importance of practice, seeking truth from facts, and the people; second, he developed selfconfidence and the courage to face difficulties. The article also reviewed how he encouraged young people on multiple occasions to combine classroom learning with social practice, and emphasized that a life with ideals, dreams, struggle, and dedication is more meaningful.