Introduction: There are so many festivals in a year, but we can’t remember many, but there are special festivals that we can’t forget even if we want to, such as the 54th Youth Day, which falls on May 4th every year. , so do you know the origin of 54th Youth Day? How did 54th Youth Day come about? If you don’t know, come with me to find out.
The origin of May 4th Youth Day
May 4th Youth Day is a festival in the early years of the Republic of China and the Republic of China. It commemorates the 1919 It was established in response to the May 4th Movement that broke out on May 4, 2011.
It originated from China’s anti-imperialist and patriotic “May 4th Movement” in 1919. The May 4th Patriotic Movement was a thorough patriotic movement against imperialism and feudalism. It is also the beginning of China’s new democratic revolution. In 1939, the Northwest Youth National Salvation Federation of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region designated May 4 as China Youth Day. In December 1949, the Government Affairs Council of the Central People's Government of China officially declared May 4th as China Youth Day.
During Youth Day, colorful commemorative activities will be held across China, and young people will also focus on various social volunteer and social practice activities. There are also many places that hold adult ceremonies during Youth Day. The core content of the May Fourth spirit is "patriotism, progress, democracy, and science."
How did the May 4th Youth Day come about?
The May 4th Youth Day is held once a year. It may be grand or simple, but its significance will always remain. May 4th Youth Day has two meanings: one is to commemorate the May 4th Movement; the other is a festival for young people. Together, they constitute a spiritual driving force that contains profound historical and realistic connotations.
The Communist Party of China designated May 4 as Youth Day for the first time
After the May 4th Movement, Chinese youth stepped onto the stage of history as an important political force.
After the founding of the Communist Party of China, in order to unify the youth movement across the country, a conference was held in Dongyuan, Guangzhou on May 5, 1922 (the anniversary of the birth of Marx). The First National Congress of the Chinese Socialist Youth League.
The conference elected the League Central Executive Committee consisting of Zhang Tailei, Shi Cuntong, Cai Hesen, Yu Xiusong, and Gao Junyu, and Shi Cuntong was elected as the League Central Secretary.
The Chinese youth movement began to enter a new stage and became a vibrant main force in China's new democratic revolutionary movement. This force played a pioneering role in subsequent revolutions.
In order to inherit and carry forward the glorious historical tradition of Chinese youth since the May Fourth Movement, further mobilize the anti-Japanese enthusiasm of the general public, and arouse the people, especially the younger generation, on May 4, 1939, representatives from all walks of life in Yan'an gathered to commemorate the May Fourth Movement. On the 20th anniversary of the Fourth Movement, May 4 was designated as China Youth Day at the conference. On this day, young students, workers, and employees all have a day off to celebrate this great anniversary. Mao Zedong delivered his famous speech "The Direction of the Youth Movement" on this day:
It has been twenty years since the "May Fourth Movement", and this year has only been designated as Youth Day nationwide. This incident contains an important meaning. In other words, it means that China's people's democratic revolution against imperialism and feudalism is about to reach a turning point. The anti-imperialist and anti-feudal people's democratic revolution has failed repeatedly for decades. This situation is now going to change, not to another defeat, but to a victory. Now China's revolution is advancing and moving toward victory. The situation of repeated defeats in history cannot continue, and it must not be allowed to continue, but must be transformed into victory. So, has it changed now? No. This transformation has not yet come, and we have not won yet, but victory can be achieved.
On May 4, 1939, "The Direction of the Youth Movement" written by Mao Zedong
In his speech, Mao Zedong also discussed the revolutionary goals, the nature of the revolution, the relying forces of the revolution, and the Issues of important strategic significance to the Chinese revolution, such as the direction of Chinese youth's efforts, were raised on the occasion of the May Fourth Youth Day, which inspired the enthusiasm of the majority of young people to resist the war and enhanced their confidence and courage.
The Nationalist Government opposed setting Youth Day on May 4th
The Nationalist Government initially disagreed with the decision to set May 4th as Youth Day. . But it was at a time when the two parties of the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China were forming a patriotic united front to jointly resist the Japanese invaders, so the Nationalist Government also commemorated Youth Day. However, as the anti-Japanese war entered a stalemate, the relationship between the two parties of the Kuomintang and the Kuomintang began to become tense. In particular, the Wannan Incident impacted the anti-Japanese national united front and pushed the cooperative relationship between the Kuomintang and the Kuomintang to the brink of breakdown. In 1942, the Kuomintang explicitly banned May 4th as "Youth Day" and subsequently changed the date of Youth Day to March 29th in the lunar calendar (April 27th in the Gregorian calendar), which was the eve of the 1911 Revolution of 1911 and the Huanghuagang Uprising. The day when the seventy-two martyrs died.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, May 4 was officially designated as Youth Day
The wheel of history rolled forward. When the wheel traveled to 1949, everything was achieved reached a conclusion.
In January 1949, Peiping was peacefully liberated, and then the communist leadership collectively came to Peiping. This year's "May 4th" Youth Day commemoration activities were carried out with great vigor.
At 7 p.m. on May 3, a gala to commemorate the May 4th Movement was held enthusiastically at the Democracy Square of Peking University. More than 6,000 workers, students, and teachers were present. This is an unprecedented event in the literary and artistic circles after the liberation of Peiping. At the meeting, Wen Jiasi spoke on "The Relationship between Literature and Art", Feng Zhi spoke on "What is Tolerance", Zhao Shuli spoke on "How to Seize the Position of Reactionary Culture", Bian Zhilin spoke on "The Cultivation of Literature and Art", and Li Guangtian spoke on "About Peking". "Review of Literary and Artistic Work", Ai Qing "Talks about Poetry", and He Qifang talks about "The Combination of Intellectuals and Workers, Peasants and Soldiers". The order of the venue and the mood of the audience were quiet and full of enthusiasm from beginning to end. Everyone's face looked so young under the light. The meeting didn't break up until 11pm.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the May 4th Movement, the Chinese Association of Scientists wrote an open letter to Chinese and world scientists, stating the wishes and aspirations of its 1,200 members. Extremely firm confidence in victory. The letter first gave a historical explanation of the great significance of the May 4th Movement against imperialism and feudalism, pointing out that this movement inspired a development path for China's subsequent democratic politics and scientific cultivation. In particular, the founding of the Communist Party of China two years after this movement added substantial content and precise guarantee to this democratic and scientific requirement under extremely difficult and difficult conditions.
To commemorate the May 4th Movement, "People's Daily" opened a column and published "Comrade Mao Zedong on the "May 4th" Movement", Wu Yuzhang "Understandings to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the "May 4th"", Huang Yanpei " The Beacon of the People's Revolution - the May Fourth Movement", Yang Zhensheng's "May Fourth and New Literature", Zhou Jianren's "Science and Democracy", Hu Feng's "From Source to Flood - Commemorating the Thirty Years of the May Fourth Movement", "Two Basic Slogans of the May Fourth Movement" by He Qianzhi, "Retrospect and Prospect" by Yu Pingbo, "Looking at Intellectuals from the "May Fourth Movement"" by Song Yunbin, "Continuous Progress" by Ye Shengtao, "The Only One" by He Jiahuai "Truth", as well as Bai Sheng's "Interviews with Several Figures from the May Fourth Movement Era", Wang Yaping's "The May Fourth Movement Educated Me", Zang Kejia's "Meetings" and introductions to China's major revolutionary youth groups since the May Fourth Movement.