City and ship unite to pursue a new journey of dreams together
——The People’s Navy carried out the “City-Ship Co-construction” activity to create a strong national defense cultural atmosphere.
■Liu Jinqiao
Picture ①: Wuhan citizens visit the Wuhan ship.Photo by Li Hongming
Picture ②: The scene of the ceremony of Nanchang Ship donating Nanchang Ship model to Nanjing City.Photo by Zhang Xiao
Picture ③: Representatives from all walks of life in Shenzhen welcome the officers and soldiers of the Shenzhen ship back home.Photo by Li Hongming
If a city has temperament, then we can always get a glimpse of it from its past history, natural scenery and the behavior of its citizens.
If a battleship has a soul, then from the moment it is named, it has an invisible link with the named city.
The ship is proud of the city, and the city is powerful because of the ship. On the new journey of joint construction, the city and the warship continue to enhance cultural identity and strengthen the blood ties, allowing the city culture to infiltrate the hearts of soldiers, integrating the spirit of advocating the military and martial arts into the blood of the city, creating a unique national defense culture, and laying a solid foundation The ideological basis for the whole people and the whole society to be patriotic and strengthen the army.
A legacy of heroic spirit
In early spring, in a certain area of the North Sea, the Navy’s Nanchang ship was sailing through the waves. Facing a variety of special situations, the ship maneuvered at high speed and crossed multiple sea areas, constantly honing its actual combat capabilities.
At the same time, on the bank of the Gan River, the retired second-generation Nanchang Ship was bathing in the spring light and parked quietly in the Nanchang Ship Theme Park in Nanchang City. The spring is bright, and many tourists bring their families and friends to the Nanchang Ship Theme Park to learn more about naval knowledge and experience naval culture.
In 2016, the second-generation Nanchang ship was honorably decommissioned and handed over to Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province. On Army Day the following year, Nanchang Warship Theme Park was officially opened to the public. As the new business card of Nanchang City’s national defense education, the Nanchang Ship adds a bright “blue” to the red heritage of Nanchang City. Today, the Nanchang Ship Theme Park has become an important position for party and government agencies, enterprises, institutions, schools and garrison troops to carry out national defense education. “The new generation Nanchang ship, as the first 10,000-ton destroyer of the People’s Navy, has successfully completed a number of major tasks since it was commissioned in 2020…” The story of the Nanchang ship is widely circulated here.
As the place where the August 1st Army Flag was raised, Nanchang has a natural blood connection with the People’s Army and is a “city of heroes.” At the beginning of taking over the ship, the ship’s party committee established the “hero” cultural theme. They jointly formulated the “Nanchang Ship Hero Culture Construction Plan” with the relevant departments of Nanchang City, jointly designed the ship’s honor room, created the “Hero Express”, “Hero Voice” broadcast and “Hero Online” media platforms, and filmed the “Hero Voyage” documentary , created the ship song “Hero’s Battleship” to integrate heroic culture into all aspects of troop building.
On every important holiday, the Nanchang ship sends officers and soldiers to “one hall and five sites” such as the Nanchang August 1st Uprising Memorial Hall and the former site of the General Headquarters to carry out red study activities, visit the heroic and model troops and advanced models who came out of Nanchang, and let the crew members live in the Hero City. Feel heroic. Officers and soldiers of the Nanchang ship regularly conduct “cloud teaching” for primary and secondary school students in Nanchang City, popularize marine knowledge, and present books, schoolbags, and ship cultural and creative products.
In March, another group of recruits arrived at the Navy’s third-generation Nanchang ship. Through the portholes, the ship’s motto of “Heroic City, Heroic Ship, Heroic Soldiers, First Shot, First Ship, First Man” shines brightly. In 2021, Hu Jiahao, who reported to the Navy’s Nanchang ship on his 19th birthday, had this ship’s motto deeply imprinted in his mind. “When Nanchang people go to Nanchang Ship, they are going home.” As a native of Nanchang, Hu Jiahao told the author that his choice to serve on Nanchang Ship stemmed from an experience of visiting the second-generation Nanchang Ship. Hu Jiahao, who boarded the Nanchang ship on Army Day in 2017, was determined to pursue the dream of deep blue and protect the motherland’s thousands of miles of maritime territory.
The people of Nanchang are the names given to them by the place of birth; the soldiers of the Nanchang ship are the responsibilities given to them by the times. Leaders of the Nanchang Garrison District told the author that in recent years, they have coordinated with higher-level agencies to come up with a special plan and put forward the initiative of “transmitting soldiers from the Hero City to the heroic troops” to deliver high-quality soldiers to the Nanchang ship. “Nanchang people should work harder and do better on the Nanchang ship.” This is the common aspiration of Nanchang-born officers and soldiers.
“Heroes are an important connotation of the city spirit of Nanchang. The older generation of Nanchang ships have their heroic past, and the new generation of Nanchang ships are embarking on a heroic journey…” On the eve of August 1st last year, the Nanchang ship and Nanchang city “talked about heroes” At the discussion site, the words of Liu Tianyong, an officer of the ship, won warm applause from the military personnel present.
Liu Tianyong recalled that when the Nanchang ship was first launched, the cultural construction of the ship channel was relatively simple. Just when he was in trouble, Nanchang City took the initiative to send a condolence group composed of many artistic creative personnel to the Nanchang Ship to discuss the arrangement of the exhibition.
Taking this opportunity, Nanchang painter You Xinmin came to his long-awaited hometown ship. “What a mighty battleship!” After getting off the bus, the “10,000-ton cruiser” parked quietly at the pier, and a silent force hit his heart. “I must do something!” You Xinmin came to Liu Tianyong and said excitedly, “I want to create a few theme paintings to give to my hometown ship!” After returning to Nanchang, You Xinmin meditated on ideas and splashed ink. Two months later, three exquisite paintings showing the Nanchang ship cutting through waves and galloping across the ocean were hung in the Nanchang ship’s conference room, soldiers’ dining room and other areas.
Over the years, city ships have worked together to integrate the characteristics of warships with the imprint of the city, casting the heroic spirit into every corner of the warships, inspiring naval officers and soldiers to brave the deep blue, and building a solid barrier to safeguard the security and development interests of the motherland.
Consistent national sentiment
“In the new era and the new journey, we must carry forward and practice the spirit of unity and struggle, and turn the blueprint drawn up by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China into a beautiful reality…” In March, the leaders of the Guangxi Ship and the Guangxi Veterans Affairs Department, thousands of miles away, Cadres interacted via video, and both parties shared their recent achievements, exchanged theories and learning experiences.
Negotiating co-construction matters, organizing visits and condolences, and carrying out extensive “city-ship co-construction” activities… Such exchanges and interactions have been carried out on the eve of the Guangxi ship being commissioned.
“This is a new amphibious assault ship independently developed by our country, and its name is Guangxi ship.” On the eve of August 1st last year, the “Baguiqiang Bugle” themed subway train departure ceremony was held at the Tunli depot of Nanning Metro. On the train, a young parent pointed to the Guangxi ship poster on the door and patiently explained it to his children. Entering the subway’s “Guangxi Ship Expedition” theme promotion car, Guangxi ship elements such as ship songs, ship training, ship emblems, and ship marks are everywhere, bringing a rich “feast” of warship knowledge to the citizens.
“The Guangxi ship has become Guangxi’s new business card, letting everyone know the new Guangxi!” In 2021, when the Guangxi ship docked in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province, a Guangxi cultural area was set up, using exhibition boards with pictures and texts to vividly present Guangxi’s unique “Zhuang ethnic group” Folk songs, Guinan tea-picking opera, Dong wooden structures and other intangible cultural heritage have set off a wave of “Guangxi fever” in Zhanjiang.
Such beautiful stories of two-way travel often happen between cities and ships. “Hohhot City was selected as the 10th batch of National Demonstration City for National Unity and Progress!” As spring enters the northern part of the country, a piece of good news spreads from the vast grassland at the northern end of the motherland to the coast of the South China Sea, making the people of Qingcheng and the crew of the Hohhot ship rejoice.
As the capital city of the earliest ethnic autonomous region established under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and a multi-ethnic settlement, Hohhot deeply implements the concept of “watching each other, helping each other, uniting and struggling”, and the gene of ethnic unity and progress is deeply integrated into the blood of the children of all ethnic groups in Qingcheng. .
“The battleship is named after Hohhot, and it will plant the seeds of unity in the hearts of every officer and soldier.” The leader of the Hohhot ship told the author that as the first guided missile destroyer named after a city in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Hohhot ship won the support of the local people at the beginning of its establishment. of loving help. Hohhot City not only donated a large number of cultural and sports equipment and various books to support the construction of the ship, but also organized professionals to go on board to teach cooking and mechanical maintenance skills to officers and soldiers.
In order to promote the integration of regional culture and ship culture, a delegation of Hohhot artists was invited to participate in the design of ship emblems and the arrangement of ship songs. The ship emblem, which was extensively discussed and carefully designed, is the testimony of the “City-Ship Co-construction” activity carried out for many years. The dark blue background symbolizes the open sea, and in the middle of the picture stands a warship of a great power that marches forward bravely and cuts through the waves. The ship stirred up excitement. The waves are also shaped like a pair of wings, and the overall look is like a soaring prairie eagle soaring into the sky. The “green” and “dark blue” that span the mountains and seas have an indissoluble bond with each other because of the same name.
“Hohhot is a harmonious and livable city. People of various ethnic groups such as Han, Mongolian, Hui, and Manchu live here next to each other and are as close as one family…” As the mobile window and maritime business card of Hohhot, the officers and soldiers of the Hohhot ship always keep it in mind. As an honorary citizen, he took advantage of opportunities such as Chinese and foreign joint performances and military camp open days to spread the story of the struggle of the people of all ethnic groups in Qingcheng to unite and forge ahead to a broader stage.
The unstoppable road to a strong military
The night falls and the morning light rises. The Yangtze River rolled up its heavy waves, covering up the small steps of the early risers. Wuhan, an industrial city with a history of more than 3,000 years, slowly wakes up amid the hawking.
The rising sun rises in the east, the sea and the sky are the same color, and the Wuhan ship cuts through the waves facing the rising sun. Waves were flying on the sea surface, and the smell of civil war was strong in the cabin. The officers and soldiers were focused on patrolling the thousands of miles of sea territory of the motherland.
On the eve of August 1st last year, at a military port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong, accompanied by bursts of warm applause, Zhou Wei, a member of the Wuhan ship design team and a researcher at China State Shipbuilding Corporation, once again boarded his hometown ship. Accompanied by the crew, Zhou Wei stopped from time to time to check out the warship, which was undergoing modern modifications. That exciting time seemed to reappear before his eyes.
At the end of the 20th century, my country’s coastal defense strength was relatively weak. Faced with many difficulties, Zhou Wei and the design team showed the Wuhan people’s “disobedience to Zhou” spirit and creatively used the “bridge-type” hull design to ensure that the ship exerted its maximum combat effectiveness.
During this return visit to the Wuhan ship, Zhou Wei brought a calligraphy work that read “Dare to be the first and pursue excellence”. This was a gift entrusted by the Wuhan Federation of Literary and Art Circles to the officers and soldiers. The urban culture of “dare to be the first and pursue excellence” is engraved in the bones of the people of Wuhan – from Zhang Zhidong’s supervision of Hubei to the Revolution of 1911, the prelude to China’s modern national democratic revolution kicked off here; from the opening of the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge to the pioneering Hanzheng Street With the restoration of the small commodity market, Wuhan City has set a “vane” for the reform of the urban commodity circulation system; China’s first optical fiber and the first technology business incubator were born here, and the development of national industry shines here…
Also inspired by this spirit, as one of the first batch of warships to perform escort missions, the officers and soldiers of Wuhan ship had the courage to explore and innovate boldly. After being beaten and tempered again and again, they successfully completed the escort mission and gained the reputation of “Iron Fist Battleship”.
“Dare to be the first and pursue excellence” is the spiritual pursuit of every officer and soldier of the Wuhan ship. Just like the moment they were named “Shenzhen”, all the officers and soldiers of the Shenzhen ship have “reform and innovation” engraved in their bones.
In Shenzhen, there are two sculptures that vividly interpret the city spirit of Shenzhen. The first is the statue of the “Pioneer Ox” standing in front of the Municipal Party Committee Courtyard. Looking from a distance, you can see the image of an ox with its head buried in its hooves, trying its best to pull the huge tree roots behind it out of the ground; the second is the steel giant in front of the museum. , he was stretching his arms and struggling to open the door. Shenzhen named him after the word “Chuang”.
Sculptures are footnotes of the times. These two sculptures vividly explain the development and transformation from Baoan County to Shenzhen City. This road is the pioneering road that Shenzhen City “killed” from the barriers of the planned economy, and it is also the road of exploration that “broke through” during the reform and opening up.
On the Shenzhen ship, the ship’s motto “Be brave as a pioneer” demonstrates the spirit of every officer and soldier of the Shenzhen ship who dares to venture, fight, and forge ahead.
The then ship leader Kuai Chongshan will always remember the unforgettable scene at the ship receiving ceremony. On October 13, 1997, when the ship-receiving troops went out for the oath-taking ceremony, the flag-hunting ceremony was held. While the officers and soldiers present were full of enthusiasm and could not conceal their excitement, Kuai Chongshan was extremely calm. He repeatedly told himself in his heart: The Shenzhen ship is the first The steps must be taken well!
After a long silence, staring at the word “Shenzhen” on the Shenzhen ship, Kuai Chongshan shouted a resounding oath, “If you dare to board the Shenzhen ship, you must be like the people of Shenzhen and dare to be the first in the world.” That oath resounded throughout the military port and followed the voyage across the vast seas. At the same time, it moistened things silently and helped the Shenzhen ship grow rapidly with the power of the seeds that broke the ground and sprouted.
Since then, the Shenzhen ship has acted as a “pioneer” and has completed 10 major missions such as escorting the Gulf of Aden and conducting drills. It has created the People’s Navy’s first crossing of three oceans and the southern Indian Ocean, and its first visit to Japan and Oman, among many other firsts. It has been praised by the Navy. It is an “Advanced Management Unit” and was awarded the honorary title of “National Advanced Grassroots Party Organization” by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.
Forging ahead into a new era and embarking on a new journey, the same goal and the same feelings will surely connect the city and the ship more closely. The ideological consensus, emotional resonance, and cultural commonality will play a joyous song of supporting the army, supporting the government, and loving the people. The song will span the mountains, fly over the grasslands, pass through the tall buildings, and flow into the ocean. It will last forever.
Tags: Peoples Navy launches CityShip Coconstruction activity Cityships work pursue dream China Military Network
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