On May 19, 2026, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission launched an expansive campus tour of the 'Mainstay' exhibition, a curated collection of artifacts from the Chinese Communist Party's resistance against Japanese aggression. The opening ceremony, held at Beijing City University, marks the beginning of a strategic circuit that will bring historical relics directly into 22 primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the capital.
This initiative represents more than a history lesson; it is a sophisticated exercise in 'red education' aimed at the next generation of Chinese citizens. By moving these artifacts from the hallowed halls of the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression into the daily environment of students, authorities are attempting to close the gap between dry textbook theory and lived emotional experience.
The exhibition’s title, 'Mainstay' (Zhongliu Dizhu), carries significant political weight, reinforcing the official state narrative that the Communist Party was the primary force behind the defeat of Imperial Japan. This messaging is crucial for the Party’s historical legitimacy, particularly as the central leadership continues to emphasize 'ideological and political courses' as a cornerstone of modern Chinese pedagogy.
Observers noted a tactical shift in how this ideology is delivered, emphasizing peer-to-peer engagement over top-down lecturing. During the launch, university students acted as docents for primary school children, while choral performances of songs like 'Don't Forget the Original Intention' were used to frame the party's historical struggles as a continuous thread connecting the past to the modern era.