In 1938, constrained by the fire of war, Wuhan University moved to Leshan, Sichuan where it left the everlasting Leshan spirit. Now, 80 years later, Sichuan alumni sing to WHUers in Leshan from 80 years ago with the song “Love Song of Leshan and Luojia”, sharing their collective memory and thinking of the Leshan spirit.
As a tribute to the era of war, Sichuan alumni have spared no efforts in the creation of the commemorative song. The song seeks to express a sort of unfading spiritual power which can not only link with the alumni of former times but also motivate the present. To achieve this, the various members from the song writing team started their own creation work that was jokingly called “composition of the same subject”.
A university of two cities, on the right is the site of WHU in Leshan
In December, the team took a special trip to the former site of WHU in Leshan and went to Luzhou to visit Liu Yongnian, a WHU alumnus, who had never been to Wuhan.
In 2018, Sichuan alumni visiting Liu Yongnian in Luzhou, Sichuan
Liu was born in 1921. As one of the few surviving alumni who experienced the Leshan period, his unyielding vitality and open-mindedness in facing the distress of destiny has been a solid and supportive proof of the WHU’s Leshan spirit. Furthermore, his life story reflects an affecting coincidence with the “Love Song of Leshan and Luojia”. In early December, 2018, the team finished four versions of the lyrics. Following some editing work, the outline of the song’s lyrics was agreed, and two weeks later, the song was finally composed.
“Love Song of Leshan and Luojia” sung for the first time
On December 15, 2018, the 80th anniversary conference of Wuhan University’s moving west to Leshan, “Love Song of Leshan and Luojia” was sung in front of hundreds of alumni from all across the country for the first time. Immortalizing the collective memory of Leshan alumni, the song set off common resonances and received warm welcome, soon becoming the popular topic of the alumni circle.
“The listeners are instantly brought back to the years when what’s ahead is the smoke of war and what’s behind is your college. In a moment of trance, we could see our revolutionary ancestors and seniors sacrificing their life in pursuit of independence and freedom, working together to address the crisis of the nation,” said an alumnus.
Edited by Xu Yixian, Geng Jinwei, Shi Weiya & Husijia
