BEIJING – Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Macau’s return to the motherland. Two years ago, President Xi Jinping visited the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR). One highlight of his itinerary was a trip to a local school.
The school is affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School, which was founded in 1932 and has the most students among Macau’s primary and secondary education institutions. The school also has a patriotic tradition.
The president described the visit as “a wish come true,” as he had considered the visit after an exchange of correspondence with the school’s students.
In their letter to Xi, the students spoke of their understanding of the motherland and their commitment to making the motherland and Macau better when they grow up.
“At such a young age, you already realize that the motherland is Macau’s staunch supporter,” Xi said in his reply letter in May 2019. “I am so glad.”
When visiting the school, Xi chose to observe a history lesson on the theme “’One Country, Two Systems’ and Macao.”
“Patriotic education lays a solid social and political foundation for Macau to implement the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’ and guides its practice to always proceed in the correct direction,” Xi told students and teachers.
He also emphasized the significance of history.
“One can easily feel a strong sense of national self-esteem and national pride after learning about our uninterrupted history spanning over five millennia,” he said. “And only by knowing the nation’s history of humiliation after the Opium War, can one understand the Chinese people’s strong yearning for national rejuvenation.”
Xi expressed confidence that today’s young people in Macau will mature into “a capable generation of which we are proud of” and serve as the backbone of both Macau and the country.
“Since antiquity, it is from adolescents that heroes emerge,” says a Chinese proverb. According to their teachers, the students have reacted positively to the president’s words. – Xinhua, MPD
A students explains a school project to President Xi Jinping (front) at the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School in Taipa on December 19, 2019. – Photo courtesy of China Daily
