Graduation Season | Heading to the Front Lines, They Write Their Own Youthful Answers Across Ten Thousand Li of Frontier

Youthful Steps Toward the Grassroots Front Lines

【Subject】Yan Ziyi, a student in the submarine navigation and command program at the Naval Submarine Academy, ranked first in overall graduation performance in his program, won multiple national- and military-level competition awards, and was named an outstanding "Four Haves" (四有) cadet. Assignment upon graduation: a submarine unit.

Aspiring to the Deep Sea, Forging the Shield with Wholehearted Dedication

■ Xu Menghan, Yuan Baihui

At 3 o'clock in the morning, the night was at its darkest. Cadet Yan Ziyi, who had just finished a "72-hour continuous assessment," had fine beads of sweat on his forehead. On the eve of graduation, having been tempered by this grueling ordeal, he was more resolute than ever in his determination to serve at a hardship and remote front-line unit.

When Yan Ziyi was a child, his maternal grandfather traveled constantly between the coast and the interior, recounting what he had seen on Liugong Island and telling stories of the First Sino-Japanese War naval battles—accounts that made a profound impression on him. In high school, Yan Ziyi learned about the tortuous process by which New China developed the "Long March No. 1" nuclear submarine, and came to understand the strategic significance of building an "underwater steel Great Wall." Knowing full well how extraordinarily arduous submarine service training was, he nonetheless applied to the Naval Submarine Academy, determined to become an elite soldier of the deep sea.

After enrolling, Yan Ziyi worked hard to advance his studies and skills. Yet the path of growth was not smooth. He still remembers the live-fire escape training exercise in a torpedo tube: confined in pitch-black darkness, the steadily rising pressure and the sudden rush of cold water flooding in caused him to mismanage his ear pressure in a panic, pain surged through him, and he was unable to complete the subsequent operations properly.

"If I can't get past basic training, how can I face the complex trials of the deep sea?" That failure put Yan Ziyi on alert. He calmed himself and dug into theory, chasing down instructors whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, and using day-after-day of hard training to overcome his weaknesses one by one. With that tenacity to break through adversity, he cleared obstacle after obstacle and achieved a series of outstanding results.

What truly anchored Yan Ziyi's conviction to guard the frontier was his navigation internship. When he first arrived at a submarine unit, the person who came to welcome him was a senior classman he regarded as a role model—Feng Changli. Years earlier, that senior had submitted his application to serve at the maritime frontier with the top score in his program. Tempered by years of underwater patrols, Feng Changli had grown noticeably more capable and seasoned.

In the unit's history museum, Feng Changli told the cadets stories of generation after generation of officers and soldiers who had built something from nothing on the island. From starting with bare hands to build dry docks and barracks in the unit's early days, to bravely taking on extreme missions at critical moments, to mastering new equipment and training in distant seas—a sweeping panorama of military strengthening unfolded before them.

When Yan Ziyi saw those yellowed family letters and those petition-for-battle letters stamped with vivid red fingerprints, he felt his heart pounding violently. "The heading of our mission always points toward where the motherland needs us most. I bear responsibility for defending this territory—I must charge forward!" Standing before the submarine sculpture, Yan Ziyi spoke from his heart.

The night the graduation assignment list was announced, Yan Ziyi gazed at the bright moon outside his window and dialed his grandfather's number. "You are not only my good grandson—you are a fine son guarding our maritime frontier!" On the other end of the line, his grandfather's laughter was warm and lingering. Beneath the clear radiance of the full moon, Yan Ziyi, carrying his steadfast conviction to forge the shield with wholehearted dedication, let his thoughts drift toward the vast and distant deep sea.

Parting words: The journey ahead is long; only through struggle can it be traveled. I hope you hold firm to your ideals and convictions, fulfill your original aspiration through hard work, shoulder your mission with your youth, and guard the underwater gateway of the nation at your deep-sea battle station.

—— Cadet Battalion Officer Tian Zhaoxiao

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【Subject】Zhao Liuzhu, a student in the command information systems engineering program at the Army Frontier Defense College, ranked first in overall graduation performance in his program, served long-term as a cadet backbone, was awarded a third-class merit citation once, and was named an outstanding "Four Haves" (四有) cadet. Assignment upon graduation: Southwest border defense.

Soul Forged into a Steel Nail, Body Planted as a Boundary Marker

■ Zhang Liao, Zhang Zhengtong

"I will merge my 'small self' into the 'greater self' of guarding the frontier, and become a frontier steel nail that 'never rusts, never retreats, never deviates, and never loosens'!" At the frontier defense oath ceremony of the Army Frontier Defense College, Zhao Liuzhu's gaze was resolute and every word rang with force.

Zhao Liuzhu is a young man who came out of the deep mountains of Huaping, Yunnan. In 2019, he was admitted to Yunnan Normal University with outstanding scores. On campus, vivid slogans reading "Serve the country through military service, do not squander your youth" moved him deeply, and the conviction to guard the frontier rose within him.

In 2020, Zhao Liuzhu resolutely set aside his pen and took up arms, becoming a reconnaissance soldier in a coastal defense brigade. From novice to "amphibious elite soldier," he continuously pushed himself harder. During sniper training, with insects swarming in the dense forest, he gathered his strength, lay in wait, and did not move a muscle; during littoral training, with the scorching sun burning his skin, he said not a word and pressed forward into the difficulty.

Two years later, Zhao Liuzhu fulfilled his wish and was admitted to the Army Frontier Defense College. When he first enrolled, his grades were not ideal, and for a time he could not keep up with the pace of instruction.

Faced with this difficulty, Zhao Liuzhu did not retreat. He proactively sought out instructors for professional knowledge and sparred with comrades in tactical deduction. Through relentless effort day after day, he was ultimately rewarded—he won first prize at the All-Army Military Modeling Competition twice, and his academic performance steadily ranked at the top of his program.

What remains most vivid in Zhao Liuzhu's memory is the summer vacation at the end of his third year. He went to intern at a border defense brigade's Hekou port of entry, touching the front line of the border up close for the first time.

"Salute!" Officers and soldiers lined up in formation and saluted a boundary marker in the distance. During a rest break, Zhao Liuzhu learned from comrades that a frontier soldier had been killed in action at that very spot thirteen years earlier while pursuing criminals. This further steeled Zhao Liuzhu's resolve to go to the border defense.

"To charge forward is the most beautiful annotation of youth; to press onward is the brightest backdrop of life." During the period of preparation for the graduation joint examination, Zhao Liuzhu trained hard in command skills and repeatedly refined his methods for organizing training. In the end, he finished far ahead of the rest with top marks in every subject and an overall rating of outstanding.

When the time came for graduation assignments, he wrote his frontier service application without a moment's hesitation. Upon learning that her son had set his heart on guarding the frontier, his mother gave her full support, urging him to take root at the border and build his achievements there.

His original aspiration burns bright; his oath rings true. Like a steel nail, like a boundary marker, Zhao Liuzhu is determined to rivet himself to the fertile soil of the frontier and let his ardent youth bloom.

Parting words: Rush to the front lines, face every trial with fearless courage; surmount every obstacle, hone your edge with a resolute character. May you measure mountains and rivers with your footsteps, and write loyalty and glory on the frontier line!

—— Cadet Company Political Instructor Wang Xing

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【Subject】Hu Zhaohua, a student in the information countermeasures technology program at the Air Force Aviation University, ranked second in overall graduation performance in his program. He served long-term as a cadet backbone and was named an outstanding "Four Haves" (四有) cadet. Assignment upon graduation: an Air Force unit stationed in Guizhou.

Though Mountains and Seas Are Far, the Original Aspiration Stands Firm as Rock

■ Liu Jia

"Applying to guard the frontier is a return of the soul and a reforging of the original aspiration. I want to transform the energy that once drove me to 'go out into the world' into the sense of responsibility to 'hold the line.'" Air Force Aviation University cadet Hu Zhaohua sat at his desk, spine straight, his handwriting radiating an unshakable resolve.

Hu Zhaohua was born in a remote county town surrounded by mountains and cut off by poor transportation. As a child he studied furiously, hoping to obtain a ticket to the outside world. In his third year of middle school, a recruitment presentation for a youth aviation class gave that ticket a "destination." When he saw footage of fighter pilots performing various high-difficulty maneuvers in their aircraft, Hu Zhaohua was overwhelmed with excitement, and a longing to pilot a war eagle and defend the homeland ignited within him.

In 2021, Hu Zhaohua was admitted to the Air Force Aviation University. Yet the road to his dream was not smooth. Due to practical circumstances, he faced the choice of being grounded and transferring to a different program.

In his confusion, Hu Zhaohua recalled a scene from the dance drama Never-Fading Radio Waves (《永不消逝的电波》)—a spotlight fell on Li Xia, and at the moment between life and death, he still sat upright, transmitting. In an era of scarce computing power and rudimentary equipment, the predecessors used their flesh-and-blood bodies and iron will to sustain the transmission of the red radio waves until the revolution succeeded. Thinking of this, Hu Zhaohua's spirits lifted: "Being grounded does not ground my ambition. As long as there is faith in the heart, every place is a battle station." He ultimately chose the information countermeasures technology program.

After transferring programs, faced with an entirely new body of knowledge, Hu Zhaohua did not hesitate or hold back, but pressed forward into the difficulty. He proactively applied to serve as the class representative for his major courses, spurring himself to study thoroughly and master the material, and doing everything he could to overcome the hard problems.

In the study room after lights-out, Hu Zhaohua's figure bent in deep concentration was a common sight. He not only delved into his coursework but also prepared for academic competitions, keeping company with dry data and grinding away at screens full of code. After fighting day and night, he ultimately won an award at the 2026 China College Student Computer Design Competition.

Last summer, Hu Zhaohua visited the former site of the Zunyi Conference. Gazing at the old maps on the walls, he seemed to see the figures of the older generation of revolutionaries exhausting their minds for the future of the nation. Walking out of the former site and looking at the undulating mountain ranges, he clenched his right fist and made a resounding oath: "to guard the mountains and rivers, and not fail the people."

With graduation approaching, Hu Zhaohua asked himself whether he was ready to guard the frontier. "I am no longer a dreamer yearning for prosperity. I would rather be like a steel nail riveted to the frontier line of the motherland, holding fast to my original aspiration at an ordinary post, and writing something extraordinary." At the moment his frontier service application was completed, he wrote down a resounding answer.

Graduation is not the curtain falling on youth, but the setting sail of the original aspiration to strengthen the military. Deep in the mountains, the battle station is set. Hu Zhaohua is ready to rush toward that cherished land in his heart.

Parting words: You have studied in uniform for years; today you set out in full gear. May you keep your original aspiration firmly in mind, be wholeheartedly devoted to the Party, take root at the grassroots level, and build achievements through hard work—transform what you learned at the military academy into concrete results for military strengthening, and write your own youthful answer across ten thousand li of frontier.

—— Cadet Company Political Instructor Bai Xuechao

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【Subject】Ma Wenhao, a student in the People's Armed Police (武警) unit combat command program at the PAP Engineering University, ranked first in overall graduation performance in his entire company. He served long-term as a cadet backbone and was named an outstanding "Four Haves" (四有) cadet. Assignment upon graduation: a unit in Xinjiang.

Heart Set on the Kunlun, Shoulders Bearing the Torch

■ Chen Guangyue

On the graduation assignment preference form, Ma Wenhao neatly signed his name in the "Xinjiang" column. Hearing a question from a comrade, he raised his head and looked at the photograph hanging on the corridor wall: "Didn't that senior classman from our company do the same thing back then?"

The senior classman in the photograph is named Wang Chenglong. He was admitted to the PAP Engineering University in 2013, ranked first in overall graduation performance in his program, and proactively went to a demanding grassroots special operations post. In 2018, in the face of a sudden emergency, Wang Chenglong was killed in action while protecting his comrades.

That name had hung on the corridor wall that Ma Wenhao passed every day. He had looked at it for four years, and thought about it for four years.

Six years ago, Ma Wenhao was admitted to a civilian university. Yet after half a year, the calm campus life did not fill the void in his heart, and his sincere desire to serve the country through military service grew stronger within him day by day.

At first, Ma Wenhao's parents were puzzled by his wish to enlist. He channeled his resolve into a letter home: "I'm afraid that if I don't do it, I will regret it." After reading the letter, his parents gave their solemn consent.

After arriving at the PAP Beijing General Corps, major tasks came one after another—the centenary celebration of the founding of the Party, the Winter Olympics, the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sessions—and Ma Wenhao was absent from none of them. Even under the greatest pressure, he persisted in self-study and never slackened.

With that tenacity, Ma Wenhao was admitted to the PAP Engineering University with the top score in his detachment, arriving at the very cadet company where Wang Chenglong had once grown up and fought.

After enrolling, Ma Wenhao was like a wound-up spring that could not stop. He fulfilled his duties on the cadet backbone posts, and his academic and training performance consistently ranked at the top.

What truly changed him inside was the winter break campus security duty last year. He did not choose to return home to be with his family; instead, he proactively stayed behind.

On New Year's Eve, the city in the distance blazed with lights, and the streets shimmered with color. Ma Wenhao walked up to his sentry post and suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. In that moment, he thought again of senior classman Wang Chenglong, and the two characters "赴边" (go to the frontier) drove into his heart like a nail.

To build achievements at the frontier, Ma Wenhao knew full well that he had to keep putting in hard work on his professional skills. He read books intently during breaks between tasks and used every spare moment to train his physical fitness. In the end, Ma Wenhao ranked first in overall graduation performance in his entire company.

Now Ma Wenhao is about to set out for the distant foot of the Kunlun Mountains. He is determined, like senior classman Wang Chenglong, to pour his passion and blood into the place where the motherland needs it most.

Parting words: Going to the frontier without regret is the resolute choice of your youth; taking root at the frontier is your heartfelt declaration of love for the motherland. May you light up on the frontier line the faith that your senior classman forged with his life!

—— Cadet Company Commander Wang Wei

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【Subject】Zhang Kun, a student in the command information systems engineering program at the Rocket Force Engineering University, served long-term as a concurrent backbone in both his cadet company and the university. He was named an outstanding individual on multiple occasions, was awarded a third-class merit citation once, and was named an outstanding "Four Haves" (四有) cadet. Assignment upon graduation: a unit stationed in the Northern Frontier (北疆).

Throwing Himself into the Northern Frontier, Courageous and Resolute in Shouldering Responsibility

■ Guo Rundong, PLA Daily Special Correspondent Wu Runping

"We support you!" When selecting his assignment upon graduation, Zhang Kun received this message from his mother, and his resolve to choose frontier service grew even stronger.

In Zhang Kun's home, there is an old photograph taken when his father was serving as a soldier at the frontier. In the photograph, his father and comrades are on field training exercises in a snow-covered wilderness, gnawing on hardened naan bread; though wrapped in heavy overcoats, their faces are still flushed red from the cold. This photograph stands in stark contrast to the family reunion photo beside it—bright windows, clean rooms, and the aroma of food—yet Zhang Kun still noticed the gleam flickering in his father's eyes. "What could it possibly be that made him go toward hardship, even find joy in hardship and hold on for years?" Zhang Kun wondered.

Carrying that question, Zhang Kun enrolled in a military academy after the college entrance examination. At the very start of his first year, the complex coursework left him anxious and unable to sleep, and the high-intensity physical training exhausted him. "Can I adapt? Can I overcome this?" Zhang Kun asked himself.

The transformation came after the trials. In the "FLTRP·Guocai Cup" (外研社·国才杯) foreign language competition, Zhang Kun, starting from a weak foundation, caught up by doubling his efforts and advanced as a "dark horse," then joined three comrades in mounting a challenge at the national competition.

"A sword's edge is honed through grinding; the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. You must believe in yourself—hard work will surely bear fruit!" After the intensive training began, the encouragement of the supervising instructor gave Zhang Kun confidence. During that period, as a cadet backbone he studied and trained during the day while also handling management work for his company, leaving only the evenings to prepare for the competition. Even spinning like a top, Zhang Kun remained full of fighting spirit. His efforts were not in vain: Zhang Kun ultimately achieved a national second-place prize.

"This experience taught me the meaning of struggle and perseverance." Holding the award certificate, Zhang Kun seemed to have found the "key" to understanding why his father had held the line at the national gateway and found joy in hardship. But the moment he truly understood the weight of the word "frontier service" (戍边) came during a special education session organized by the school.

At the time, the school invited a veteran soldier onto campus to tell the cadets about his combat experiences. When the veteran spoke of comrades who had fought with their flesh and blood against enemies many times their number and ultimately died heroically, he choked up several times at the podium, and Zhang Kun's eyes grew wet with tears in the audience below. In that moment, "frontier service" was no longer a phrase in a textbook for him, but a responsibility that had to be answered with youth and action.

As graduation arrived, Zhang Kun took the frontier service application he had written long in advance and walked to the office of his cadet company leadership. "Build achievements where the motherland needs us most!" He will carry that resolve, take root in the fertile soil of the grassroots, and contribute his strength to the cause of military strengthening.

Parting words: Attack the hard and difficult—tackling hard things will surely yield results; press toward the distant—reaching far places will surely bring gains. May frost and wind not dim your eyes, may ten thousand hardships not block your steps; may you keep striving and pressing forward, and let the flower of your ideals bloom on the frontiers of the motherland.

—— Cadet Company Political Instructor Cui Guangxing

Photos provided by Yuan Baihui, Xu Zhezhi, Wu Runping, Hu Xinliang, and Li Yanchen

Illustrations: Zhang Heng

Layout design: Xu Shuo