Hello, Beijing
This post was originally written in Chinese and published on Qzone.
Looking back at Beijing, and its history, I see desolation and devastation, the ravages of war, but also the spirit of striving and rising, of peace and prosperity.
Yesterday
In the past, when our country was invaded by foreign powers, Beijing, as an important political and cultural center, inevitably bore the marks of that aggression. These marks remain in the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan) – a former royal garden of sacred status in the East, known in the West as the “Garden of Gardens.” The great French writer Victor Hugo commented in 1861: “Imagine a building that is enchanting, like a castle in the moon, and that is the Summer Palace.” People often say: Greece has the Parthenon, Egypt has the pyramids, Rome has the Colosseum, and the East has the Summer Palace. It was a breathtaking and unparalleled masterpiece.
Today, walking into the Old Summer Palace, there is no birdsong, no fragrance of flowers, only desolation and ruins. Everything around us seems to transport us back to the smoke and fire of 1860. Through the rows of broken walls, I see the arrogance of the fascist invaders, their greed as they desecrated this land, and their gloating after their “victorious” looting. 140 years have passed, and the Old Summer Palace, bombarded by the cannons of the great powers, is now dim and silent. It is the best testament to the saying “backwardness invites aggression,” a humiliating history etched in the hearts of the people. Seeing the incomplete ruins of the Great Fountain, something inside me fell, falling through the earth, gone forever, just like the former beauty of the Old Summer Palace.
Suddenly, the eight characters “Never forget national humiliation, revitalize China” stirred up waves in my heart…
Today
The Olympic flame was lit on the land of China, burning brightly above the Bird’s Nest. The century-old Olympic dream finally came true. The summer of 2008 gave us too many beautiful memories, and an unparalleled sense of pride rose in the heart of every Chinese person.
This trip to Beijing also allowed me to experience the unparalleled Olympic architecture. Approaching the Bird’s Nest, I realized that running a lap around it would be many, many “400 meters.” Looking up at the Bird’s Nest, I realized how small my house was. Walking into the Bird’s Nest, I deeply understood that architecture can be so free and yet still stand. Going deeper into the Bird’s Nest, I realized that everything here is like a bird, so let’s call it “bird structure.” For example, the streetlights are like large birds that emit light, and the faucets are like birds spraying water…
Today, China is not ostentatious, but it has great ambitions. We will not stop moving forward because of “Shenzhou VII” or the “World Expo.” We will surely make the world admire China, the dragon.
Tomorrow
The future is something that is always worth thinking about. This trip to Beijing has given us more confidence, determination, and motivation for the future. After visiting China’s two top universities, I deeply felt that “the sea is wide for fish to leap, and the sky is high for birds to fly.” Tsinghua University and Peking University provide good platforms for students to improve and develop. It can only be said that among the many universities in China, these two are the best places to go. Here, you will work and study with the most outstanding talents in China, which will be a very exciting thing.
The future of our motherland will become more glorious through the unremitting efforts of the younger generation!
Let us first remember Tsinghua University’s motto: “Actions speak louder than words.”
Listen! The rooster crows at dawn. Peace doves fly over the homeland of the dragon, carrying olive branches. The mountains are greener, the water is clearer, and the flowers are more beautiful. A long and lingering sound echoes in the sky— Peace belongs to China, The future belongs to us, The Chinese dragon soars into the boundless universe!
Postscript: The full text is 1014 words, which is a decent essay that can be made public. Perhaps it would be better to be more casual, just saying whatever comes to mind, but I wanted to write a formal article with a basic structure. The article is divided into three parts: “Yesterday,” “Today,” and “Tomorrow.”
I should have written this earlier. After returning to Guangzhou on the afternoon of the 26th, I kept putting it off. Too many things made me postpone this important task… I’m too procrastinating… Today, I finally made up my mind to write, and to write well. I hope that those who read this will give some advice, and let’s revise the article together, express personal opinions, etc. Thank you!