Wang Zhian is checking information. Photographed by our reporter Song Chaojun
Gao Mohan
Qin Xianzhi is practicing singing. Photographed by our reporter Chen Junyi
Zhou Jingli at work. Photographed by our reporter Ma Ruishan
Jin Yongqiang (left) is discussing with members of the medical team. Photographed by our reporter Zhao Hao
Zhao Hongsen
Telling the story of Majiayao culture to more people
■ Wang Zhian, a cultural conservation worker in Dingxi, Gansu
After explaining to the first batch of new year visitors to the Majiayao Painted Pottery Culture Museum in Gansu, Looking at the frog-patterned pots on display in the museum, I couldn't calm down for a long time. I am 80 years old and now serve as the honorary president of the Majiayao Culture Research Association of Gansu Province. I have been dealing with these clay pots and pots for nearly 60 years.
I am from Lintao County, Dingxi City. In 1924, Majiayao culture was first discovered in Majiayao Village in this county. I have been interested in these colorfully painted pottery vessels since I was a teenager. Gradually I learned that they appeared in the late Neolithic Age more than 5,800 years ago, and after more than 1,800 years of development, they left an important mark in the history of Chinese civilization.
In the following decades, I "scoured" some research results from these treasures.
At the beginning of the new year, I will start research work again, but there is a question that always lingers in my mind: Although Majiayao culture is of great significance, how many people have heard of its story? If
wants to expand its influence, it must first let more people know about it. In 2003, I founded the Majiayao Painted Pottery Culture Museum. Now, there are more than 3,000 collections in the 600-square-meter museum, and visitors are constantly praising the rich content of the collection.
But I also know that due to space limitations, all collections cannot be displayed. Moreover, the number of professionals is limited and may not necessarily answer all visitors’ questions. Looking back at the areas that need to be improved, the museum has a plan to bring the cultural relics lying in the museum into the eyes of more people through increased publicity at home and abroad, the use of new media technology, etc.
's professional research strength is the key "key". Researchers of Majiayao culture are distributed in many provinces and regions, and each has his or her own expertise. In 1996, I founded the Majiayao Culture Research Association of Gansu Province, which now has more than 200 members. At the same time, we have established the Majiayao Cultural Research Institute of Northwest University for Nationalities and the Linxia Majiayao Cultural Research Base in Lanzhou, Linxia and other places respectively, driving more and more young people to participate and experience ancient civilization first-hand.
This has provided great assistance for the study of symbol patterns. Members and researchers have made plans to continue cracking the "code" together in the new year.
Having made up my mind, I came to the Tao River again and looked out. I couldn't help but imagine how the ancestors here used their rich imagination to create such a shocking culture thousands of years ago. Every time I touch the shape and material of the pot and delve into its rich decorative patterns, I become more confident - I want to tell the story of Majiayao culture to more people and tell it louder!
Our reporters Dong Hongliang and Song Chaojun Interviews compiled
Feeling the great rivers and mountains of the motherland
■ Gao Mohan, a middle school student in Hefei, Anhui
I came to the Swan Lake Campus of Hefei No. 50 Middle School to study in junior high school last year. Nearly half a semester has passed, and 2024 has arrived in the blink of an eye. I have two New Year wishes: one is that my academic performance will get better and better, and the other is that I want my parents to take me to the northwest to experience the great rivers and mountains of our motherland.
When I was in elementary school, my favorite subject was Chinese, and I was especially interested in ancient poetry. Later, my father gave me a copy of "Three Hundred Tang Poems", which became my favorite bedtime reading.
When I read "Shi Zhi Shang Shang" written by the poet Wang Wei, I was attracted by his description of "the lonely smoke in the desert and the sun setting over the long river". In the vast desert, a wisp of smoke floats, reflecting the setting sun on the horizon. Just imagining it in my mind feels very magnificent. At that moment, I silently made a wish in my heart: I must go there and see it if I have the chance.
Now, I am already a junior high school student. In addition to learning Chinese and mathematics, new courses such as geography and biology have been added. In class, the geography teacher showed us the vast territory of China.I just learned that the desert scenery described in the poem is in the northwest of China. There is not only the Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China, but also various landforms such as the Qaidam Basin and the Kunlun Mountains.
As my understanding continues to deepen, the idea of going to the Northwest to take a walk and have a look becomes stronger. The teacher told me that in eighth grade, we will have a special chapter system to study the northwest region. I'd love to go there before then. After I expressed this wish to my parents, they immediately agreed. I was so happy!
My father told me that the northwest is very far and vast. Since they are going, they want to take me around Gansu, Qinghai and other provinces. Calculated, it will take at least 10 days and at most 20 days. Considering that the winter vacation is short, they plan to take me there during this summer vacation.
My parents love me and support me so much, and I won’t let them down in the new year. This semester, because I came to a new environment, my grades fluctuated slightly, which made my parents a little worried. Now, I have gradually adapted to junior high school life. In the new school year, I will work hard, study hard, and be a good child who can reassure my parents.
Interview and compilation by our reporter Li Junjie
Make elderly life more enjoyable
■ Qin Xianzhi, a retired employee in Guiyang, Guizhou
I am almost 80 years old. In 2024, I will continue to accompany music, improve my singing skills, and perform more freely on stage!
Roadside concert is a folk music event held on the roadside in Guiyang City. One was held at Wenchang Pavilion in Yunyan District in October last year. The audience had the opportunity to sing with my favorite singer Zhang Yingxi. I was very excited when I heard the news. That day, when I rushed over, the place was already crowded. The singers were interacting with the audience. I squeezed into the front row from the side and shouted loudly from below. The staff handed me the microphone, and I sang a few lines.
After returning home, I was very satisfied with my performance and felt very happy. The next day, my son said to me: "Dad, you have become an 'Internet celebrity'!" I was shocked, how could I still be "famous" even though I am seventy or eighty years old? My son showed me a short video of me singing at a roadside concert last night. The video also said, "Looking for the 'Bel Canto Master.'" I happily accepted this nickname.
Later, I received a call from the organizer of a roadside concert, inviting me to perform on stage during the Double Ninth Festival to continue singing with Zhang Yingxi. After being invited, I practiced my voice more diligently every day. I even practiced for seven or eight hours the day before the performance. I even had insomnia at night because of the excitement. As a result, I discovered that my voice was hoarse the next morning, so I quickly took a throat moisturizing tablet to "rescue" me, and then I went on stage to sing as scheduled in the evening.
I like music very much, and I think I have a talent for singing. When I was young, I was a key artist in the army. Later, I was busy making a living, and I left singing as a hobby. After I retired, I started singing again. This time I sang, I never stopped.
My son is always worried about me because he raps in such a high pitch. At this age, he needs to be more careful. I told him that worries were unnecessary. Now, as long as the weather is nice, I will go to Qianlingshan Park to practice singing. There are some like-minded friends here and we "play music" together. As soon as I sing a little tune, my body and mind feel happy, and my health is also better.
This year, I hope that roadside concerts will continue to invite me. After that experience, I have gained experience and will no longer practice for so long. I can calm down and perform well at my daily level. Even though the concert sounds like it's for young people, I think music has no age limit. In the future, I hope to continue to participate in roadside concerts and add some "elderly elements" to the concerts to make senior life more enjoyable.
Our reporter Chen Junyi interviewed and compiled
Spend more time with your family
■ Zhou Jingli, a packaging worker in Qingxu, Shanxi
I am 34 years old. I came to Qingxu County after getting married and worked in Zilin Vinegar Industry for ten and a half years. Aged vinegar is a specialty industry in Shanxi. If we want to develop the vinegar industry in Qingxu, we must ensure output, sales volume and quality. This is closely related to our daily work.
controls product quality, and every link is important.On the production line in the packaging workshop, I will first check whether the production date is printed on each vinegar bottle, and secondly, make sure the trademark is printed correctly. Sometimes the capping machine is not "reliable" and I have to help cover it tightly. This position seems simple, but it is very important. If the trademark is accidentally affixed crookedly, or the lid of a bottle of vinegar is not closed properly, it will affect the customer's purchasing experience, affect the social reputation of the company, and indirectly or directly cause losses to the company. During the morning meeting every week, I will silently recite the company's "Quality Declaration" to remind myself: product is character, quality is life.
Now, my position can pack one or two thousand boxes of vinegar every day. I hope that the company will grow bigger and bigger, with more production and sales, and higher wages.
When I was tired from work, I looked at the photos of my two-year-old daughter and wanted to go home early and hug her. When I get off work early, my baby will first put his slippers at my feet as soon as he comes in, then open his hands for me to hold him, saying, "Thank you, Mom." At that moment, I really felt that no matter how tired I was, it was all worth it. At night before the baby goes to bed, he will say to me: "Mom, I'm sleepy, good night." These details make me feel that she is growing at a rapid speed. The baby will be 3 years old in 2024. I hope she will grow up quickly and bring more surprises to the family.
My wife works as a translator for a car company in Baoding, Hebei. Although he is not around the child, he misses the baby very much every day. As soon as he gets home, he will make video calls to me and play with the baby through the screen until he goes to bed. My wife likes to watch old black and white movies. Whenever he comes home, we will sit on the sofa at night and watch a suspenseful movie together, and discuss the plot while watching, which is very warm. I hope that my wife will be more successful at work and smoother in life in the new year.
Because of work, I don’t spend much time with my baby every day, and I always feel a little guilty. I have a small wish in the New Year. I hope that I can spend more time with my family and children, and that my baby will grow up healthy and healthy.
Our reporter Ma Ruishan interviewed and compiled
and used the knowledge he learned to relieve the pain of more patients
■ Beijing doctor Jin Yongqiang
just got off the operating table. The patient was a 2-month-old boy with congenital heart disease. After examination, the baby was found to have multiple defects in his heart, and his growth and development were greatly affected. The surgery went well and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
I am a physician in the Department of Pediatrics at the Heart Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Tsinghua University, studying under Wu Qingyu, a leader in cardiac surgery in China. He is our former dean and is still fighting on the clinical frontline. In the new year, I have performed several surgeries. The one who impressed me the most was a newborn from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This child was only 11 days old and weighed 3 kilograms. He suffered from congenital heart disease and complete transposition of the great arteries, and his life was in danger at any time. The local doctors in Ningxia were helpless and contacted us overnight to transfer him to Beijing. After detailed examination and evaluation, I led the team to perform emergency aortic switch surgery on the child that day. Because children are young and their hearts are only slightly larger than an adult’s thumb, high surgical precision is required. I wore a 3.5x magnifying glass on my head to perform the operation and did not dare to relax for a minute. The operation lasted for 6 hours and was finally completed successfully. Now, the child is recovering well and will be discharged from the hospital and go home soon.
In addition to clinical work, I often participate in "sending doctors to the countryside" activities organized by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission and hospitals. Last year, I went to Liupanshui in Guizhou, Dali in Yunnan, Xing'an League in Inner Mongolia and other places to provide free clinics for local children. Participating in the free clinic made me understand the responsibilities on my shoulders better.
Some people may have misunderstandings about congenital heart disease. In fact, most congenital heart diseases can be cured, and even if a few cannot be cured, they can be relieved through surgery and improve the quality of life and longevity. To this end, I opened a video account on some short video platforms to popularize knowledge about congenital heart disease.
As a doctor, you must learn endlessly. I chose to study for a part-time doctorate degree at Tsinghua University. In addition to working from Monday to Friday, I also had to go to class on Saturday and Sunday. It is foreseeable that this year will be very tiring, but also very fulfilling. I hope to use the knowledge I have learned to relieve the pain of more patients.
For me, the happiest thing is seeing the smiling faces of my children when I go home.As a father, I often feel short-changed: due to my busy work schedule, I have relatively little time to spend with my children. When work and study come to an end this year, I will take the children on a long trip to relax and unwind.
Interview and compilation by our reporter Zhao Hao
Develop a hobby and learn to live independently
■ Zhao Hongsen, a primary school student in Shijiazhuang, Hebei
I am a second-grade student at Zhaiying Street Primary School in Shijiazhuang. In the blink of an eye, I am one year older and have a new beginning.
Last year, I saw many major events happening in China on TV: the successful launch of the Shenzhou 16 and Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft, the Asian Games being held in Hangzhou, and the successful first commercial flight of a domestically produced large aircraft... Seeing these news, I I feel sincerely proud and want to study hard, grow up quickly, and contribute to the construction of the motherland.
My parents often told me: "It is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books." Last year, my parents took me to many places. I saw the sea, climbed to the top of the mountain, and walked through the grasslands, leaving behind many beautiful things. The memories also made me realize how vast the world is. I learned from books that there are many places worth visiting in our country, such as the mysterious Sanxingdui ruins, the magnificent Yellow River estuary, and the beautiful terraced fields of Yunnan... In the new year, I want my parents to take me to more places. A place where you can see more scenery.
The teacher said in class that a happy life is hard to come by, and our motherland has experienced many hardships. Every time I read stories about revolutionary martyrs throwing their heads and blood, I am deeply touched and cherish the red scarf on my chest even more. When I heard that there are still wars in some parts of the world, I feel that I am very lucky to be born in China today. I must make good use of the peaceful environment created by our motherland and study harder.
Although I am young, I know that "a year's plan begins with spring." In the new year, I plan to read more books, develop a hobby, and learn to live independently. Teachers often teach us not to be giants of words, but to be masters of action. In order to achieve my goal, I will work hard from now on. This year, I want to strive to be able to go to and from school independently without letting my parents worry about it. I also want to learn one or two special dishes and cook them for my family.
At the moment of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, I secretly made a few small wishes: I hope that I can continue to grow up happily and peacefully in the new year; I hope that our motherland will become more prosperous and strong, and achieve success in the new year. Greater achievements; I hope that all countries in the world can live in peace and that children all over the world can have a wonderful childhood.
Interviews and compilations by our reporter Zhang Tengyang
Except for signatures, all photos in this edition are provided by the interviewees
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