18 | Friday, December 11, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE Musical works celebrate Teacher shows girls Partyfounding centenary
By XING YI in Shanghai been popular since the 1970s. [email protected] Hao, a professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, says what how to reach the top Four new musical compositions he wants to express is in the poem, to mark the 100th anniversary of citing the lines: “Friends, please let the founding of the Communist us believe in the future, believe in Inspirational Party of China next year held their our unbending striving, believe in debut rehearsals in Shanghai on our youth that can conquer death, woman breaks Saturday. believe in the future — believe in The four works were created by life.” cycle of poverty musicians born in the 1950s, 60s, The last piece, My Father’s Gen in mountain areas 70s and 80s, representing the dif eration, was done by Yang Fan. ferent perspectives on communist Yang was the composer for the as she realizes belief from different generations. music in the awardwinning dance Jia Daqun, 65, completed a con production The Eternal Wave, potential certo for orchestra titled Zhu Lang which tells a revolutionary story of of students, Xin Chao (A Heart Pursuing the Communist intelligence’s mission Waves). The name of his music on the eve of Shanghai’s liberation Chen Meiling and echoed a 1927 poem by Mao Zed in 1949. ong, one of the founders of the Yang says the theme of his music Li Yingqing report. CPC, which goes: I pledge my wine was drawn from the dance produc to the surging torrent, the tide of tion, which celebrated the 70th t was a chance meeting that my heart swells with the waves. anniversary of the founding of the revealed the reality of one life Jia, a professor of composition at People’s Republic of China. as it changed another. About the Shanghai Conservatory of Yu Long, music director of the 20 years ago, while on the way Music, says: “The past centenary is Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Ito visit a student’s house, Zhang Gui full of history for China, and I who initiated the commission of the mei, then a rural teacher in Huaping choose the form of a concerto for works, says: “It’s commendable that county, Lijiang, Yunnan province, orchestra to show my respect to the four composers took the time noticed a girl sitting on the hillside. this era, the Party, the country and and effort for this project during the She was staring blankly into space. the people.” pandemic. We hope their music, She was completely preoccupied. students were concentrating fully on Yu Yang, a composer born in the which is created based on their The girl, 13, told Zhang she was their studies.” 1960s, showcased his symphony backgrounds, will bring different about to get married. It was Chen accompanied Zhang Guimei An Ode to China. feelings on this historic occasion.” arranged by her parents. on a business trip to Kunming, capi Hao Weiya was born in the Zhou Ping, head of the Shanghai “But I want to go to school,” the tal of Yunnan, in August. At the end 1970s, and his creation of music for Symphony Orchestra, says girl says. Zhang went to her house of the day, the teacher was exhausted soprano and a large orchestra is excerpts of the four compositions and tried to persuade her parents to and could barely speak. But she also set to a poem, Believe in the will be staged at the 2021 Shanghai let the girl return to school and insisted on returning to Huaping, Future. New Year Concert and the full ver promised to pay for her tuition her about a fourhour drive from Kun The poem was written by Guo sions will make their debut as early self. However, they didn’t agree. ming, to look after the newcomers. Lusheng under the pen name Shi as the end of April before going on Zhang says she feels sorry not Now a policewoman at Yongsheng Zhi (index finger) in 1968, and has a nationwide tour. being able to help. “We always say, county in Lijiang, Chen says she each child should stand on the same learned from Zhang to “fully fulfill starting line, but these girls didn’t duty at work and help people in even have a chance to get on the need”. track,” she tells Xinhua News Agency. Zhou Yunli, 27, a former graduate, That fateful encounter persuaded says the school has grown and facili Zhang to build a free high school for ties have improved. Now it covers 5 girls, aiming to help break the cycle hectares, with a large, renovated that saw women drop out of educa teaching building, three dormito tion, marry early and spend their ries, a canteen and a soccer field. whole life in the remote mountain. Classrooms are equipped with com The priority of less welloff families puters and electronic screens. The was to spend whatever scarce resour school is financed by the local gov ces they had on educating their sons. ernment and has received donations After years trying to raise funds, from individuals and companies. in 2008, Huaping High School for In 2008, Zhou’s father could only Girls, a free public high school, was afford to send one of two daughters founded at the foot of the Shizi to high school, and her elder sister Composer Hao Weiya explains the motivation behind his work in Mountain in Huaping, where Zhang was about to give up her chance. “If Shanghai on Saturday. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY is the principal. that happened, I would be guilty my Over the decades, Zhang walked whole life.” thousands of kilometers, visiting The sisters were both able to go to students’ families in the deep moun the school because it was free. tain, talking to villagers, persuading Zhou returned to the girls’ school Irrigation projects girls to go back to school. It has been Top: Zhang Guimei, principal of Huaping High School for Girls, a in 2015 as a math teacher, after grad worth it. More than 1,800 graduates free public high school, in Huaping county, Lijiang, Yunnan prov uating from Yunnan Normal Univer granted heritage status have been admitted to college, ince, checks students in class. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Middle: Zhang sity, to “help change the life of girls which is regarded a “miracle” in the visits a student’s home in 2011. XINHUA Above: Zhang enjoys the from poor families like me”, she says. remote area, as most students didn’t moment with her students in September. CHEN XINBO / XINHUA She says all students must have BEIJING — Four ancient Chi canal in China’s history, making perform well in academic study short hair, eat lunch within 10 min nese irrigation sites were honored use of the shafttunnel method. before the school was established. utes and wash clothes once a week, as World Heritage irrigation struc The weirs of Baishaxi Stream Though lacking full health, not and bonus to bolster rural educa prevent poverty from passing down to save time for study. Now the tures on Tuesday, according to the project in East China’s Zhejiang least dealing with rheumatoid tion and poor people. from generation to generation. school has three classes with about Ministry of Water Resources. province are comprised of 36 arthritis and osteoporosis, Zhang, Zhang Guimei says she wants chil 150 students in total. Granted by the International weirs, 21 of which are still provid now 63, insists on a daily routine — dren from the mountain to attend School in remote area Zhou says the principal will never Commission on Irrigation and ing water for irrigation. The weir get up at around 5 am to turn on the the best universities. Chen Fayu, 27, remembers the first be satisfied with grades from their Drainage, the inclusion of the four complex covers 45 kilometers of lights of the teaching building, call In early December, she was named day she came to Huaping High gaokao, China’s college entrance irrigation projects has brought the the Baishaxi Stream and has a total students to get up with a loudspeak a national outstanding member of School for Girls in 2009, where there exam. “She always says we should total number of Chinese irrigation waterlevel drop of 168 meters. The er, accompany students to classes the Communist Party of China for was only one building, no walls, gate have done better,” she says, adding projects on the list to 23. Sangyuanwei polder embankment and sleep after senior students’ her dedication to education in rural or restroom. Students and teachers although the school’s enrollment The Tianbao Weir, one of the system is situated in southern Chi study ends at midnight. She swal China. She was also given the honor slept in empty classrooms. rate often ranks in the front in the newly awarded projects, is located na’s Guangdong province. lows dozens of pills a day. She has of the country’s “role model for Chen says she could not have city. in Fujian province. With a history Chen Mingzhong, an official collapsed several times from exhaus teachers”, “advanced worker” and enrolled in any high school because Li Cong, deputy director of the of more than 1,200 years, the weir with the ministry, says the ancient tion on the campus. “outstanding woman”. Her moving she didn’t reach the required grade, publicity department of Huaping, is the oldest extant water project irrigation projects are treasures of Zhang’s husband died in the stories inspire thousands of people. but Huaping was open to any girls says: “Though she is stubborn some specifically aimed at barring salt China’s waterculture develop 1990s. She doesn’t have children or Zhang Guimei told the media a and charged no fees. times, her persistence is what makes water and storing freshwater. ment, as well as being of great val a house, so she lives at the student girl can influence three generations. “Teacher Zhang is tough. We were change possible.” The Longshou Canal and ue to the development of irrigation dormitory. Zhang Xiaofeng, direct “An educated, responsible mother all a bit afraid of her,” Chen recalls. ancient Luohe River irrigation dis agriculture in China. or of the school’s office, says the will not let her children drop out of “She would walk from the back door Contact the writers at trict in Shaanxi province is said to principal donated all her wages school,” she says, adding the goal is to of the classroom and make sure the [email protected] involve the first underground XINHUA
“Well, we have waited 30 years and nothing much has happened,” UK slashing aid budget sends out ‘damaging signal’ he told me. He was far more impressed in what China was doing to his coun As someone who has spent quite Rishi Sunak that the UK was reneg dened by the move. between the two countries also of shared humanity, you would have try in terms of building roads, tele a lot of time in Africa reporting on ing on its commitment to spend 0.7 “It said something great about obviously began when that disparity a vested selfinterest to support communications, light rail and the China’s engagement with the conti percent of its GDP on overseas aid Britain, not just that we care about was much greater. India, also development. new gleaming headquarters of the nent wherever you went you would and will now spend just 0.5 percent tackling global poverty ... it was that bizarrely seen as wealthy in this par China is one country that has African Union headquarters. often see a familiar logo. instead. we were going to do something allel universe, has some of the poor always believed in supporting devel China has, of course, since upped This was that of the This amounts to a £4 billion about it and that we were going to est people on the planet. opment, even when it was a very its engagement with the developing United Kingdom’s ($5.38 billion) cut but one that is lead and show the rest of the world,” The proposed cut is likely to have poor country itself. and, indeed, developed world with Department for effectively £7 billion because the UK he said after the announcement. serious consequences. By some esti A shining example of that was the initiatives such as Belt and Road International Devel economy is forecast to contract this One of the depressing aspects mates it could lead to nearly 1 mil construction of the 1,860kilometer and the Asian Infrastructure Invest opment, known best year by 11.3 percent from the impact about the debate on aid in the UK is lion young girls being deprived of Tanzam railway in the 1970s which ment Bank. by its abbreviation of the pandemic. how countries like China and India education and as many as 100,000 connected the port of Dar es Salaam It recognizes the importance of DFID, which would The move was seen as throwing become dragged in about where the avoidable deaths due to millions in Tanzania with the town of Kapiri development because it has seen the Andrew always be working on red meat to his right wing Conserv UK should give its aid. being deprived of clean water and Mposhi in Zambia. benefits of it for itself over the past Moody some aid develop ative backbench MPs who have nev In the last DFID annual report, it vaccinations and that in the middle In terms of Africa alone, this com 40 years with its own miraculous Second ment project some er liked the target anyway. was revealed that £71 million was of a pandemic. mitment has grown to the Forum transformation. Thoughts where. It comes on top of DFID being spent in China and that this was The move though is already pop on ChinaAfrica Cooperation, at As for Sunak, he may have gained Being British absorbed into a new Foreign, Com somehow wasteful, even though it ular with those who are the first to which China committed $60 billion popular support for his miserly myself the aid department had a monwealth and Development Office involved education and other col vent their fury at asylum seekers of new funding at its last summit in slashing of the UK’s aid budget, but particular resonance but nonethe with the plan for aid now to be used laborative projects. who cross the English Channel in Beijing in September 2018. he has also shown no vision and sent less it was a significant player along as a tool of foreign policy. China is deemed by the outraged makeshift boats. I remember interviewing Meles out a very damaging signal at a time side China, the World Bank and Former UK prime minister British tabloid press to be a rich They are blinkered, however. By Zenawi, the late Ethiopian prime when his country postBrexit should other international organizations. David Cameron, whose govern country when, in fact, it is an some estimates the population of minister, at his residence in Addis be reaching out to the world. It was therefore sad to see that in ment enshrined the United emerging economy with a per capi Africa is set to double from now to Ababa in 2013, who was particularly the recent autumn statement deliv Nations Millennium Development ta income a quarter of that of the 2.5 billion by the mid century. Even critical of the West’s policy to replace Contact the writer at ered by Chancellor of the Exchequer Goal target in UK law, was sad UK. The whole aid relationship if you didn’t believe in any concept aid with private sector investment. [email protected]