Chinese President Xi Jinping has paid lavish attention to the growth of Macao's youth, and stressed enhancement of patriotic education among the local youths to lay a solid social and political foundation for Macao to implement the "one country, two systems" policy.
Every Monday morning at the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School in Macao, students attend a solemn flag-raising ceremony. As the national anthem plays, the red five-star flag is hoisted high, with the entire school standing in respectful silence - a tradition that reflects the school's commitment to instilling patriotism.
The Hou Kong Middle School, founded in 1932, has always upheld the mission of nurturing talent with a love for both the nation and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).
Macao campuses have passed on the fine tradition of loving the motherland from generation to generation over the past seven decades. The tradition dates back to October 1, 1949 when the first national flag was raised in the Hou Kong Middle School despite big hindrance from the Portuguese authorities.
Then principal Du Nam led all teachers and students to raise the five-star red flag on the first day of the People's Republic of China. After that, the Hou Kong Middle School raises the national flag every National Day on October 1 for the past 70 years.
Writing a letter to the person the students most want to thank on the eve of the International Children's Day (June 1) is a fine tradition of the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School and five years ago, some students from the affiliated school wrote a letter to President Xi.
Among the students was Cheang U Ham who recalled the remarkable experience. In this letter, they expressed their love for the motherland through colorful drawings and sincere words.
"We greeted Grandpa Xi in the letter and told him how much we wanted to share our thoughts with him ahead of Children's Day. We drew pictures of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Macao SAR's Golden Lotus Square. Honestly, we didn't think the letter would ever reach him," said Cheang.
Half a month later, to their great delight, they received a reply from Xi the day before the Children's Day.
In the reply letter, Xi praised their drawings and heartfelt words, which reflected vividly their pure and beautiful hearts. Xi also expressed his hope that the students can pass on the fine tradition of loving the motherland and loving Macao, cherish their time, study diligently, grow healthily, and make contributions to Macao's development and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation when they grow up.
Cheang recalled the overwhelming excitement of receiving the letter. She said "I'm very excited and it's unbelievable. What touched me most was the sincerity of Grandpa Xi's response. It made us feel so warm-hearted."
In their letter, the students had also invited President Xi to visit Macao again, and in December 2019, despited a packed schedule for visit to Macao, President Xi met with them as he promised.
"When I learned how tight his schedule was, I was even more moved," Cheang said. "But he still kept his promise to meet us. It's an experience I will never forget. He was so kind and approachable."
The visit left a lasting impression not only on the students but also on the teachers and staff of Hou Kong Middle School.
"That was on December 19, 2019. President Xi watched a Chinese history class themed 'one country, two systems' and Macao taught by one of our teachers. The class was attended by more than 300 people, including principals and history teachers from across Macao. Xi's presence was a tremendous encouragement for all of us," said Iao Tun Ieong, principal of the Hou Kong Middle School.
"After the lesson, President Xi addressed us, emphasizing the importance of understanding where we come from, where we are now, the path we need to take, and what lies ahead. His words provided a clear direction for us as educators - to teach history well and pass down important stories," said Chao Lin Chai, teacher with the affiliated school.
The Hou Kong Middle School has attached great importance to patriotic education. From kindergarten onward, students are taught about the national flag, emblem, and anthem. The school also integrates the Constitution and the Basic Law of the Macao SAR into its civic education curriculum.
"We organize regular trips to the mainland to help our students learn more about the nation's rapid development, so that they can easily feel a strong sense of national pride and national self-esteem," said Iao.
"We often organize activities centered on love for the nation and the SAR. The young generation we are nurturing or our successors, when growing up, they may stay in Macao or move to the mainland, but wherever they are, they will make their own contributions," said Chao.
Over the years, President Xi has always kept the youth of Macao and their patriotic education in his heart.
"We need to strengthen the education and upbringing of young people to ensure that the fine tradition of loving the motherland and loving Macao will be carried forward from one generation to another and that the cause of 'one country, two systems' will be continuously advanced," said Xi when attending a gathering marking the 15th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland and the inauguration of the fourth-term chief executive and government of the Macao SAR on Dec 20, 2014.
During his visit to Macao in December 2019, President Xi delivered a speech at the Premier School Affiliated to Hou Kong Middle School, saying that "I'm more convinced that the young people in Macao is a promising generation that deserves to be proud of, and will surely become the mainstay of Macao and the nation."
Xi cares for growth of Macao's youth, stresses enhancement of patriotic education
