A Division of the Xinjiang Military District Creates and Stages the Situational Ideological-Political Lesson 'Bloodline'
A Division of the Xinjiang Military District Creates and Stages the Situational Ideological-Political Lesson 'Bloodline'—— A Colorful History Storybook
■ Ahezhuoer·Nuerlanbieke, Xu Shuo
"Brothers, those with spears take your spears, those with blades take your blades—hold the position!" As the spotlight came up, on the stage of a division hall of the Xinjiang Military District, the division's officers and soldiers reenacted the combat scenes of the Battle of Lanzhou. The gravely wounded regimental commander "Wang Xueli" raised his arm and called out, leading the officers and soldiers in a charge……
This scene is drawn from the situational ideological-political lesson (情景思政课) 'Bloodline,' written and performed by the division's own officers and soldiers. Following the historical thread of the division, the creative team divided the lesson into 5 chapters and 16 stories, presenting them through situational performance, song and dance, and other forms. The 90-minute lesson, like a colorful history storybook, holds the gaze of officers and soldiers.
Every chapter carries a period of magnificent and turbulent years; every story is engraved with the loyalty and sense of duty of their forebears. The situational performance 'Spreading the Red' (《闹红》) traces time back to the land of northern Shaanxi in 1932, restoring the historical episode in which Communist Party members such as Liu Shanzhong disguised themselves and moved covertly, seized 6 enemy rifles at Leizhu Mountain Stronghold by cunning, and established the Yanchuan Guerrilla Unit. 'Bloody Battle at Shenjialing' (《血战沈家岭》), using situational dance as its vehicle, recreated the heroic scene in the Battle of Lanzhou in which the main assault regiment, despite having suffered heavy casualties, continued to fight bloodily and successfully broke open the gates of Lanzhou……
Craft is visible in the details. When creating and staging 'Spreading the Red,' in order to give officers and soldiers an immersive experience, the participating officers and soldiers specifically studied the Shaanxi dialect, striving for lines that were authentic and emotions that were genuine and natural. After the victory in the Battle of Lanzhou, the local people praised the People's soldiers with Qin opera (秦腔). For this reason, the team also deliberately incorporated Qin opera elements into the performance of 'Bloody Battle at Shenjialing.'
The programs distributed to each officer and soldier contained a clever touch from the creative team. Using the route map of the division's campaigns across multiple locations as a backdrop, they marked on it the locations where the stories staged on stage took place, accompanied by corresponding production stills and background introductions, to help officers and soldiers better understand the glorious history.
Vivid and lively story details added emotional power to this situational ideological-political lesson. During the creative process, those involved buried themselves in archives, fishing out historical traces from between the lines and drawing creative nourishment. When restoring the episode of a "seven-day, five-night forced march" in a certain battle, they found that the division history records were relatively brief. After consulting multiple sources, they unearthed a precious clue in a newspaper preserved in the division history museum: during that forced march, the forebears carried loads exceeding 30 kilograms and advanced along treacherous slopes; many officers and soldiers, exhausted and assailed by bitter cold, fell on the march route……
"Most of these forebears left no names behind. From the sparse few words of the records, we can feel the extreme trials they endured at the time, and that iron will of fearing no hardship and advancing toward death to find life (向死而生)." Said Tarim, an arts cadre and soldier.
The creative team unearthed no small number of such moving stories. Keeping close to the overall structure of the script, they deliberated repeatedly and selected carefully, retaining in each chapter content that had stage tension and educational significance.
In the chapter "Taking Root in Xinjiang for the People," they chose the heroic deeds of soldier Meng Qifan. On December 24, 1991, while the division was building the "Army-People Heart-to-Heart Road" (军民连心路) in Tuyugou Township, Shanshan County, Turpan City, a massive boulder rolled down from the mountain. Meng Qifan pushed aside the comrade beside him and, with no time to dodge himself, died heroically. To commemorate his noble character of sacrificing himself to save others, the local government erected "Heart-to-Heart Road" memorial steles at both ends of the road and raised a statue of him on the campus of Subashi Primary School. The creative team compiled the details of the hero's story and composed the song "Army-People Heart-to-Heart Road" (《军民连心路》), making the hero's image ever clearer through melodious music and heartfelt tribute.
In the closing situational performance 'As You Wished' (《如愿》), today's officers and soldiers hold a dialogue across time with heroic forebears from different historical periods. "We, the heirs of the Red Army, march with firm and resounding steps—this prosperous age is as you wished!" On stage, the words they called out echo the theme of the entire situational ideological-political lesson: to let the red bloodline (红色血脉) flow on without end, and pass the torch of revolution (革命薪火) from generation to generation.