A quest to reminisce about memorable years; a performance to recreate your stories.

Inheriting and promoting Dachen Island Reclamation Spirit, integrating revolutionary legacy into the bloodline of youth, and transforming it into a driving force for young people in the new era is their mission and responsibility.

On August 22, over 60 teachers and students from Taizhou University Drama “Youth · Meet” Troupe set foot on Dachen Island—an island steeped in significant reclamation history—embarking on a roots-seeking journey themed “Inherit the Reclamation Spirit, Let Youth Shine.”

“Tracing the Footsteps and Exploring the Origins” Party-themed Event

Azure seawater lapped against reefs; a sea breeze gently rustled the clothes of the young people. At the summit of Fengwei Mountain, TU’s “Tracing the Footsteps and Exploring the Origins” Party-themed event was in full swing.

Teachers and students ascended long footpaths. The quietly standing Dachen Island Reclamation Monument appeared particularly tall and majestic under the sunlight. With solemn expressions, they listened intently to the staff’s explanations, quietly experiencing the monumental reclamation era.

In 1956, the first group of young volunteers, filled with passion and fervent youth, rushed to this pearl of the East China Sea and took a solemn oath here. “I am a young reclamation team member. I voluntarily come to the great motherland’s Dachen Island...” The 92-character oath remains fresh and impactful even today. Faculty and student Party members systematically studied the formation and development of the Reclamation Spirit, deepening their understanding of its contemporary value through intellectual exchange, continuously advancing the principle of “Strengthening Mind with Reclamation Spirit.”

“Retracing the Reclamation Path” League-themed Event

At Dachen Island Reclamation Memorial Hall, the “Retracing the Reclamation Path” League-themed event allowed contemporary university students to fully experience the hardships and challenges faced by the early reclamation team members. They came to appreciate their spiritual qualities of “hard work and entrepreneurship, striving for strength, selfless dedication, and pioneering innovation,” which in turn ignited their passion to inherit the Reclamation Spirit and transform it into motivation for future study and life.

“I’ve been to Dachen Island before. Returning after so many years, I deeply feel the development and changes of this land,” said Shi Yichuan, a freshman at Taizhou University. “Every historical record here makes me feel the hardships and resilience of the older generation of reclamation pioneers, and strengthens my resolve to inherit and carry forward the Dachen Island Reclamation Spirit.”

Visiting veteran reclamation team member Gao Alian and her descendants

TU students also visited veteran reclamation team member Gao Alian and her descendants, engaging in face-to-face conversations with the witness and her family. They listened to those reclamation stories sealed by time, feeling the struggles written by the older generation with their hands and sweat in extremely arduous conditions, touching the warmth of the Reclamation Spirit through real experiences.

“How was seaweed cultivated?” “What did you do when you felt homesick?” Facing the veteran reclamation team member, the young students posed question after question, full of curiosity about those passionate years. In 1958, Gao Alian responded to the call and came to Dachen Island. She didn’t return to her hometown Wenzhou for a full five years, and now remains the only Wenzhou-native reclamation team member still living on Dachen Island. Recalling the conditions when she first arrived on the island, her spirit still radiated the essence of reclamation, shining brightly. “Back then, Dachen Island was desolate everywhere, we couldn’t even walk properly. The reclamation team members, relying on steadfast belief, worked together to figure out raising pigs, sheep, farming, building roads... slowly, through hard working, turned the island into a lovely home.” Gao Alian told the students, “Being youth means going where the motherland needs you most, to serve the nation!”

Live performance of the Drama “Youth · Meet”

Inside the Dachen Island Friendship Club, the “Youth · Meet” team performed with great intensity. On stage, the actors used techniques like flashbacks and temporal shifts to skillfully intertwine TU’s “Walking Ideo-political Classroom” with the stories of the first volunteer youth who landed on the island in 1956, presenting a wonderful original drama. Off stage, the audience, including veteran reclamation team members and their descendants, applauded continuously.

This drama, created by TU, uses the reclamation history as its backdrop, bringing the youthful years of the older reclamation generation and the mission of contemporary youth to the stage. Through vivid performances, the actors recreated the moving scenes of the reclamation team members’ “hard work and entrepreneurship, striving for strength, selfless dedication, and pioneering innovation,” allowing the audience to relive those passionate years through artistic immersion and deeply understand the radiance of youth blossoming through dedication and struggle.

To date, TU’s large-scale original drama “Youth · Meet” has been publicly performed over 10 times, reaching an audience of more than 10,000 people. “Performing in the theater built by the hands of the veteran reclamation team members allows young university students to more profoundly comprehend the power of the Reclamation Spirit,” said a director from the Taizhou University CPC Party Committee Publicities Department.

This series of Reclamation Spirit activities conducted by TU on Dachen Island is not only a look back at history but also an expectation from the future. Through these immersive, interactive activities like on-site drama rehearsals, the teachers and students deeply absorbed the power of the Reclamation Spirit. This precious spiritual wealth is destined to shine even more brilliantly in the new era, inspiring the university community to run strenuously on the track of building achievements and contributing youthful strength to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation and building a strong, modern socialist country.