2026 Spring Pu'er, Guangnan Travelogue

Title: 2026 Spring Pu’er and Guangnan Travel Notes

Bringing education closer to life

At the beginning of 2025, I discussed with Teacher Tu Xue the life‑education theory proposed by the people’s educator Tao Xingzhi over a hundred years ago (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xTgXwqMp-by6Ampnk4wxqA). Its core idea—“life is education, society is school, teaching and doing are one”—offers valuable insight for bridging the gap between today’s education and society. In the AI era, knowledge is at our fingertips and technology evolves rapidly; what kind of talent will the future need, and how should we cultivate it? These are questions every educator must ponder. Yet, no matter how times change, people’s yearning for a good life remains constant, and linking education tightly with everyday life will never be a mistake.

During this visit, I was fortunate to see “life education” quietly taking root in several schools. In both high schools and rural middle schools, boarding is common; the school essentially becomes the children’s home, and school life makes up almost their entire existence. Yunnan boasts rich natural scenery and cultural resources, and local schools make full use of these advantages, weaving them into the curriculum. Students’ daily routines are orderly and vibrant: they stay away from electronic devices, go to bed and wake up on time, line up for meals, clean their own spaces, read in the library, exercise on the sports field, join clubs, and so on. This not only builds self‑care skills but also helps them adapt to communal living.

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The schools we visited are equipped with very modern facilities; many of the newly built campuses have hardware that rivals schools in big cities. Looking at the clean, attractive classrooms, I am reminded of the old saying “make the school the best building in the area.” In many places this is already a reality, and I feel proud that our nation’s “flowers” can study in such excellent environments. Nevertheless, some schools still face the following challenges:

• Some older dormitories have poor living conditions: inconvenient water supply, no curtains, and worn‑out beds.
• Classroom desks and chairs are outdated; drinking water stations are lacking, making hot water hard to obtain.
• Teachers’ office conditions are modest, with an urgent need for computers.
• The library lacks extracurricular books that are suitable for children.

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The scholarship students we revisited are all first‑year high schoolers, the largest group coming from Pu’er Middle School. After a semester of hard work, these students have already adapted to the busy high‑school life. They generally achieve excellent grades, are optimistic and outgoing, and are proactive—attributes linked to the school’s philosophy of “not judging solely by scores” and its rich array of sports, arts, and club activities. Pu’er Middle School, with a history of over a hundred years, originated from the Simao Confucian Temple and even has a “Top‑Scholar Bridge” on campus. Its educational motto is “Become the most beautiful version of yourself, become the top scholar in your heart” (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DugHglW6pYj_pKubeoEbcw), re‑interpreting the concept of “top scholar” and continuing the Chinese cultural spirit of self‑cultivation. In an era obsessed with grades, this feels like a refreshing stream.

In the science track, many students choose the sciences, and a good number are especially interested in medicine. A few students feel a mismatch between their chosen direction and personal hobbies. We patiently explained the future career possibilities, social significance, and employment prospects of the relevant subjects, discussed the relationship between passion and daily life, and encouraged them to stay committed to their chosen path while treating their interests as a long‑term learning direction. Coincidentally, one school banner reads: “First do what must be done, then do what you love.”

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The teacher‑training program we revisited showed us how vital this exchange channel is for grassroots schools. It opens a window for rural teachers to learn advanced teaching philosophies, instructional methods, and school‑ and class‑management practices from more developed regions, allowing them to experience first‑hand the environments in which their students may study, work, and live in the future. Peer exchange is the most effective way to grow—this is especially evident in the internet industry, where highly developed communication channels enable new products and technologies to spread quickly to every development team, fueling rapid industry growth. Software engineers cherish the Hacker spirit (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%BB%91%E5%AE%A2%E7%B2%BE%E7%A5%9E/140438); as the classic How To Become A Hacker (http://www.catb.org/esr/faqs/hacker-howto.html#attitude) puts it:

As with all creative arts, the most effective way to become a master is to imitate the mind‑set of masters — not just intellectually but emotionally as well. Or, as the following modern Zen poem has it: To follow the path: look to the master, follow the master, walk with the master, see through the master, become the master.

When you have role models, you can see a future version of yourself; continuous imitation and practice lead to growth. Teachers who attended the training have begun to adjust their previous lecture‑heavy methods, upgraded their approaches as homeroom teachers, improved home‑school communication, and organized arts clubs to boost students’ confidence. Their changes inject new vitality into local education. I believe that as “going out” and “inviting in” activities continue, the teaching quality of these rural schools will improve dramatically, and teachers from more affluent areas will start to think about how high‑quality educational resources can reach every remote school—much like the “village‑to‑village broadband” projects.

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The character “福” (fortune) carries people’s hopes for a good life. Deep in Yunnan’s mountains lies Heizhi Fruit Middle School (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/s_RXcDdyrO0RSpmXIb8YWw), which follows the guiding principle of “joy and blessing.” The campus culture centers on “healthy growth, happy life,” creating a richly humanistic atmosphere. These three words embody the essence of Chinese culture. The Analects opens with a discussion of “joy”: “Is it not a pleasure to study together with friends, to practice what we have learned at the right time? Is it not a joy when friends come from afar? Is it not a gentleman who remains unperturbed when others do not understand him?” According to Taiwanese scholar Hsueh Jen‑Ming, the character “乐” (joy) “reveals the basic face of traditional Chinese culture—pragmatic, progressive, and bright” (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rE-NznPaq8QEf2Rtvxtfeg). The Doctrine of the Mean speaks of “harmony”: “When harmony is achieved, heaven and earth find their places, and all things are nurtured.” From “harmony is precious” to “a harmonious family brings prosperity” to “harmonious society,” the character has permeated every aspect of Chinese interpersonal conduct. The Shangshu (Book of Documents) discusses “福” (blessing): “One is longevity, two is wealth, three is health, four is virtue, five is a good end of life,” painting the Chinese ideal of happiness. Walking through this beautiful rural school, I witnessed the seamless blend of tradition and modernity, a living thread of millennia‑old culture that continues to thrive.

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Each visit is an unforgettable journey of discovery, deepening my understanding of education and of China itself. In Hunan’s Tongdao region, I was delighted to see that many households maintain a “Heaven‑Earth‑Country‑Parents‑Teachers” ancestral tablet, a phrase rich with cultural meaning. In Dengzhou, Henan, I revisited the Yueyang Tower essay at Huazhou Academy and, through conversations with teachers and students, observed how the spirit “worry about the world first, enjoy its joys later” influences the local community. This trip showed me the harmony among education, culture, and daily life, and how culture subtly nourishes a school. “When culture flourishes, the nation prospers; when culture strengthens, the people become strong” (http://theory.people.com.cn/GB/n1/2018/0607/c40531-30041110.html). The primary and secondary school years are crucial for forming cultural literacy. In many places, schools act like modern academies, shaping a region’s unique cultural character and playing a vital role in cultural transmission. Recent visits have revealed the vibrant vitality of Chinese cultural heritage. As more schools tap into local cultural resources and bring culture into the classroom, teaching and life will become inseparable, and education will blossom into a lively, harmonious scene. Schools will then lay a solid foundation for children’s future happiness.

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Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 研习录 (Study Notes). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.