On the afternoon of September 16, the university held a themed event at Nanhu Garden titled "Nurture a Pomegranate Tree Together, Take an Ideological and Political Lesson Together", aimed at forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Xu Yeqin, Secretary of the University Party Committee; Li Hongyan, Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President; relevant officials from the Student Affairs Department of the Party Committee; student affairs administrators of each school; counselor representatives; and representatives of the 2026 intake took part in the event. Li Hongyan presided over the event.

Xu Yeqin delivered the first lesson on "forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation" to all representatives of the 2026 intake, elaborating on the "Unity Water" held by the students: "A bowl of hometown water connects us to our native land; waters from thousands of places converge in one garden, witnessing the unity of all ethnic groups." Against the backdrop of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, he recounted touching stories of mutual assistance among all ethnic groups, ranging from the profound friendship forged at the "Yihai Alliance" to the new chapter of theLaw of the People's Republic of China on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, and from the war years in the cave dwellings of Yan'an to the torch of revolutionary spirit passed on at Nanhu in Wuhan. He encouraged students to be inheritors of the revolutionary heritage, advocates of ethnic unity, and strivers in the new era. He urged them to integrate their personal aspirations into the building of a strong country and, through concrete actions, answer the era's question: "In building a strong country, what should our university do? What should young people do?"

Xu Yeqin Delivers the First Lesson on "Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation". Photo by Jia Zidu

Later, Xu Yeqin and students moved to the pomegranate grove. They bent down to water the pomegranate trees with the "Unity Water" and tied red ribbons symbolizing ethnic unity to the branches.

Faculty and Students Water a Pomegranate Tree Together. Photo by Jia Zidu

Compared with previous years, new water collection points along the Long March route were added to this year's water collection activity. A total of 288 new students from 20 provinces and regions across the country brought spring water from their hometowns and collected flowing water from Long March sites. The blend of the warmth of landscapes with the power of revolutionary faith paid tribute to the great Long March spirit by tracing its roots and strengthened the foundation of ethnic unity through revolutionary heritage. At the end of the event, all faculty and students sang the university anthem together, and the melodious tune lingered in the pomegranate garden.

It is reported that this marks the fourth consecutive year the university has held the event "Nurture a Pomegranate Tree Together, Take an Ideological and Political Lesson Together". Over the years, the university has continued to develop distinctive on-site ideological and political courses. Through vivid hands-on activities, it has promoted education on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, helping it take root in students' minds and guiding young students of all ethnic groups to grow strong and flourishing like pomegranate trees and stay closely united like pomegranate seeds.

Editor-in-charge: Liu Qiong Reviewed by: Lei Changsheng Uploaded by: Liu Hong Release Date: September 17, 2026