Young guides bring Ruijin's textbook history to life

For generations of Chinese children, the words "When drinking water, remember its source" have been linked to a well they first encountered in a primary school textbook. Today, at the Red Well in Shazhouba village in Ruijin, Jiangxi province, children are taking it upon themselves to retell that familiar story.

Among them is Liu Qinyi, a young volunteer guide who began learning to give tours when she was in second grade. During school holidays, she visits revolutionary sites around Ruijin to tell visitors about the history of her hometown.

"Through telling these stories again and again, I have grown and truly felt their power," Liu said. "I hope to continue passing on these memories through the voice of a young person and tell Ruijin's stories well."

One of the stories she tells began at the well beside her.

In 1933, after learning that residents of drought-prone Shazhouba had long relied on dirty pond water, Chairman Mao Zedong led soldiers and local villagers in digging a well. After the main forces of the Central Red Army left Ruijin and embarked on the Long March in October 1934, Kuomintang troops returned to the area and repeatedly filled in the well. Each time, the villagers dug it out again and eventually preserved it.