The Power of Youth - A Hike on 09.29-30

Last Night’s Hiking Trip

Last night, I returned to my dorm after attending the welcoming party at Qu Chen Wang. As I pushed open the door, I saw Xiaoyan’er (Tang Bangyan) packing up to head out. He asked to borrow my digital camera and told me that the Agricultural Research Society he joined was organizing a hiking trip from our university to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony. Initially, I didn’t want to join in, feeling that I had been busy all day. However, he slyly mentioned that many beautiful girls from his class would be participating… and, well, I ended up joining (to be honest, I thought it might be a rare opportunity, and I also wanted to challenge myself physically). Our dorm brothers then joined in as well, and for the first time since the start of school, our dorm was empty for a night.

At 10:30, we arrived at the back of the main building, where over 200 people had already gathered. Even the organizer of the event was surprised. It seemed that most people were there just to join in on the fun, just like us.

Tang Bangyan managed to become a group leader, and he led our group of 16 people on this hiking trip. We were the first group to set off, so there was no one behind us. Most people were excited to see Beijing’s night scenery for the first time, and we all chatted and laughed along the way. I walked at the back of the group with Ren Lixian, keeping a leisurely pace. Beijing’s night scenery wasn’t as grand as I had imagined, but under the bright streetlights, the city had a unique atmosphere. It felt like we had entered a futuristic world, with cars whizzing by and the city lights illuminating our path.

Our group leader didn’t even know the way, but fortunately, we had a girl from Beijing, Wang Xiao, who helped us navigate with a map. I’ve lived in this city for 18 years, but I’ve always been terrible with directions. It’s surprising how different people from the same city can be.

Later, I walked ahead and chatted with Wang Xiao. She’s a student from Chongwen District, and she was originally interested in the life sciences program but ended up in the water resources and civil engineering department. I was about to lament about the Beijing college entrance exam system, but she interrupted me, saying, “Since we’re already here, we should just make the most of it. There’s no need to dwell on the past.” I was speechless. It’s clear that she’s a thoughtful and independent girl, the fifth person I’ve met at our university with their own opinions and plans for the future.

We talked about changing majors, and she said, “I think it’s better to focus on our current major and then pursue a double degree in finance. That way, we can switch majors when we take the graduate exam.” She also said, “I don’t think that what we study in college necessarily determines our future career.” Her dream is to open her own small shop. It seems that many girls share this same dream.

Afterward, she went to discuss the route with our group leader, and I had some time to reflect on our conversation. I realized that I still haven’t fully shaken off the disappointment of not doing well on the college entrance exam. Although I say that it’s not important now that I’m in college, I still feel like I should have done better. I’m still thinking about that exam, and changing majors is important to me, not because I don’t like my current courses (I’m actually interested in the unique courses offered by our department, such as system programming, physics, and mathematics), but because it affects my chances of studying abroad. The engineering department has very few full scholarships for studying abroad, and if I switch to the science department, I’ll have more opportunities.

Anyway, we continued walking and walking. Later, I chatted with a girl named Hui Chenlu, who’s from Shaanxi but speaks Mandarin very well, with a hint of a southern accent. We talked about everything from elementary school to college life, and from Xi’an snacks to Beijing life. We walked quickly, and before I knew it, we had surpassed the rest of the group by over 300 meters. Finally, Tang Bangyan called me to stop.

At 2:00 AM, we arrived at Xidan. I don’t like Xidan during the day, as it’s always crowded and dirty. However, at night, it’s quite charming, with no crowds and all the shops closed. The streets were quiet, with only a few metal overpasses giving it a futuristic feel. The only place with lights on was a wedding dress shop, which Hui Chenlu exclaimed was “so beautiful.” The shop had warm lighting and a cozy atmosphere, like an oasis in the midst of the concrete jungle.

After passing Xidan, we walked onto Chang’an Street, which was not as brightly lit as it usually is at night (the streetlights are turned off at 12:00 AM). Hui Chenlu said that Beijing’s buildings didn’t seem as tall as she had imagined, and that Beijing people don’t seem to have a nightlife. I think she must have thought Beijing was like Hong Kong… Then, I realized that I had walked too fast and was told to return to the back of the group.

It was just as well, as I was getting tired. Our great assistant, Wang Xiao, was also getting sleepy and started dozing off while walking. Other groups joined us, and suddenly, my surroundings became lively. I asked around, and it seemed that everyone was from our university. Our group was basically dispersed at this point. Our group leader decided to regroup at Tiananmen Square, and Hui Chenlu and I were responsible for keeping an eye on Wang Xiao. The three of us were soon left behind by the enthusiastic crowd, who were eager to get to Tiananmen Square (some people even started running…). Along the way, Hui Chenlu tried to recruit us to join the Green Pulse Society and participate in some volunteer activities. Wang Xiao, who was half asleep, said she had joined the Fengyun Society, and we joked that she shouldn’t fall asleep while climbing mountains.

At 2:40 AM, we finally arrived at Tiananmen Square. The night scenery was completely different from the daytime… (I seem to have used the phrase “night scenery” too many times in this article). The square felt vast and empty, with a sense of solemnity under the blood-red walls. During the day, the square is always crowded with people. After regrouping, we took a rest. Hui Chenlu taught us the Green Pulse Society’s dance, and we played a game of unlocking. Since we had nothing better to do, everyone who wasn’t sleeping joined in. Wang Xiao even sang a song after waking up, which apparently made other students from different groups laugh. There were people selling national flags for 1 yuan each, and although I wouldn’t normally buy one, I did that night. Everyone was excited.

At 4:40 AM, we found out that we needed to line up to watch the flag-raising ceremony, so we crossed the underground tunnel to the other side of the square.

At 5:30 AM, we entered the area where the flag-raising ceremony would take place.

At 6:08 AM, the national flag was raised. It was my first time watching the flag-raising ceremony.

After watching the ceremony, we walked around the square, looking at the flower beds and the Monument to the People’s Heroes. Wang Xiao seemed to have gotten enough rest and was now full of energy, explaining the history of Tiananmen Square to the students from other provinces. She had been promoted from assistant to tour guide… Our group leader was now just in charge of counting people. Wang Xiao wanted to take us to Dashilan, but everyone was too tired, so we vetoed the idea. (I was also getting hungry. I had taken a short nap before the flag-raising ceremony.)

We returned to our dorm at 8:00 AM, marking the end of this activity.