On October 18th, during an exciting visit to Lanzhou Jiaotong University in Gansu, Taiwan’s Qinghua High School student Chen Renping expressed his enthusiasm after seeing the statue of “the Father of Chinese Railways,” Zhan Tianyou, and the ancient steam locomotive. While listening to a professional presentation, he eagerly shared his thoughts with his classmates, saying, “This locomotive has incredible historical value. I previously only understood modern railways, but today’s research trip has solidified my foundation.”
Earlier that day, the “Cross-Strait Common Roots, Chinese Sentiment: Youth in Gansu” research and study program held its opening ceremony in Lanzhou, Gansu. A group of 34 teachers and students from Qinghua High School, specializing in rail transport and culinary studies, began their journey, which includes visits to Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Zhongshan Bridge, the Yellow River Mother statue, as well as the Fuxi Temple in Tianshui, the Maijishan Grottoes, Pingliang Yizhong “Pearl Class,” West Queen Mother Palace, and landmarks like the Zhou Ancestor Cemetery and the Qihuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Museum. They aim to immerse themselves in the vigorous vitality of Gansu’s education, culture, and economic development.
Their initial stop was Lanzhou Jiaotong University, formerly known as Lanzhou Railway Institute, which is the third railway university in China and has trained over 200,000 professionals across various fields of land transportation. The university provided the Taiwanese students with engaging content on “The History of Chinese Railways,” “The History of Railways in Gansu,” and topics on “Intelligent Railway Equipment and AI Integration.”
Zhang Yuping, principal of Qinghua High School in Taoyuan City, remarked, “Taiwan lacks in faculty and academic resources in the field of rail transport. I hope that the students will take this opportunity to witness the development and achievements in Gansu and return motivated to apply what they’ve learned.”
In Zhang’s view, even though the visit was brief, it has planted a seed in the students’ minds. Upon returning to Taiwan, they may have the chance to form groups to dive deeper into railway knowledge and tackle various challenges they encounter in their courses and practical experiences.
