People’s Leader | Hopes for Youth in Couplets
Xi Jinping’s message to young people: Keep the long term in view, stay grounded, and carry on the spirit of striving Reviewing the origins of couplets and the insights they offer for growth, understand the responsibilities and commitment of young people in this era
In April 2002, Xi Jinping, then Governor of Fujian Province, gave a report at Fuzhou University and presented a pair of antithetical couplets to young students during the exchange session. Drawing on the allusion of "The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains," he encouraged everyone not to focus only on immediate gains, but to develop a longterm vision, study diligently, and move forward with determination.
The article reviews the origin behind this pair of couplets and sorts out Xi Jinping's attention to and messages for the growth of young people at different stages. From his experience working as an educated youth in rural northern Shaanxi, to promoting longterm planning in Fuzhou and Zhejiang, and then, after becoming General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, repeatedly visiting universities, grassroots communities, and major event venues, he has consistently emphasized the importance of keeping one's feet on the ground and persevering with determination.
The article also notes that today's Chinese youth are shouldering the responsibilities of the times with a spirit of hard work. They continue striving in study, scientific research, national defense, and social development, working hard to integrate their personal growth into the country's development and the nation's rejuvenation.