School exchange builds friendship through legacy of China’s national anthem composer

For 10-year-old Li Shu, learning about the composer of China's national anthem has meant more than singing songs in class. It has brought a new friendship, a mushroom-picking trip and a first visit to Shanghai — the city where Nie Er began his musical career.

When a pupil from Shanghai visited Li's family in Yuxi, Southwest China's Yunnan province, in July, the children picked mushrooms, shared a home-cooked meal and visited sites associated with Nie Er. Months later, they still exchange gifts. Li sends flower pastries and mooncakes, while the Shanghai friend sends small keepsakes.

"We help each other, solve problems together and share good food," said Li, a fifth-grader at Nie Er Primary School.

Their friendship grew out of a school exchange connecting Yuxi, where Nie Er's family had its roots, with Shanghai, where he composed some of his best-known works.

Nie Er arrived in Shanghai in 1930 at age 18 after fleeing Yunnan to avoid arrest by then Kuomintang authorities over his revolutionary activities and membership in the Communist Youth League. He initially worked as a shop assistant at a trading firm before joining an opera society in 1931, marking the start of his professional music career. In 1933, he joined the Communist Party of China in Shanghai after being introduced by playwright Tian Han.

In 1935, Nie Er drafted the music for March of the Volunteers, the theme song of the film Children of Troubled Times, at his residence on what is now Huaihai Middle Road in Shanghai's Xuhui district. He later traveled to Japan to evade Kuomintang persecution. There, he finalized the composition and sent the score back to China. The song eventually became China's national anthem.

At Nie Er Primary School, the composer's legacy is woven into everyday learning. A 100-member school orchestra performs at flag-raising ceremonies as teachers and pupils sing the national anthem. Along a cultural corridor, visitors can scan QR codes to hear students recount stories about his life and music.

In a courtyard named after the pharmacy run by Nie Er's parents, pupils grow medicinal herbs and learn about traditional Chinese medicine.

Teacher Zhao Dongyun said the school combines classroom learning with hands-on activities and exchanges involving families and cultural institutions.

Li joined the school choir in third grade and has since learned more than 10 songs, participating in performances and competitions. The anthem's stirring melody, Li said, encourages the pupil to make progress every day.

The school exchange also took Li to Shanghai for the first time. Staying with a local family, Li sampled local food and visited the Oriental Pearl Tower. The two friends also shared stories about Nie Er and the customs of their respective hometowns.

Learning extends beyond the classroom. During school holidays, pupils volunteer as guides at the Nie Er Memorial Hall and his former residence in Yuxi, serving more than 8,000 visitors annually, according to the school.

The memorial hall, which has offered free admission since 2009, receives about 200,000 visits a year. It trains young guides in public speaking, historical interpretation and music appreciation, with support from professional guides and university volunteers.

For Li, the experience has left a lasting friendship and a deeper understanding of the history connecting the two cities.

"The exchanges help us learn more about Nie Er and each other's hometown customs," Li said.