Xi Jinping stresses 'cultural heritage' on Youth Day
President tours top university on May 4th - a day that sparked a political movement
President Xi Jinping encouraged students take pride in their cultural heritage and repeated his theme of working towards the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" during a visit to Peking University yesterday to mark Youth Day.
It commemorates protests in 1919 when students rallied over what they felt was their government's weak stance on the Treaty of Versailles.
The demonstrations were part of the May Fourth Movement that unleashed the modernisation of China, including a call for the adoption of Western-style democracy and science.
State media reports of Xi's visit, however, focused more on his call for the strengthening of cultural heritage. He said every young generation had their own opportunities and challenges and that students should chart their lives accordingly, state television reported.
Young peoples' values would determine society's future values, he said.
Xi visited the university's humanities building and complimented Tang Yijie, a renowned 87-year-old philosopher, on his contribution to Chinese culture.
He spent about an hour talking to university students, who were selected from different departments, according to The Beijing News.