From August 1st to 3rd, 2024, the “Love Hometown and Be Grateful” - Summer Camp for Little Guardians of Danxiashan World Heritage Site was held in Danxiashan UNESCO Global Geopark, attracting nearly 100 local teenagers from the scenic area. With the theme of “Love Hometown and Be Grateful”, the summer camp aimed to explore natural landscape and historical culture of Shaoguan City, Renhua County, Jinjiang River and Danxiashan, guiding local youth to understand and love their hometown.
This summer camp activity was organized with a focus on setting goals and exploring in groups. Under the guidance of science popularization tutors, the senior class visited the Maba Man Site, Shaoguan Museum, South China Tiger Park, and Zhang Jiuling Memorial Park. Through these visits, they explored the ancestral homeland of the Maba Man, who lived 129,000 years ago, gained insights into the history of human evolution, learned about Zhang Jiuling’s patriotic sentiment embodied in the lines “Over the sea grows the moons bright; We gaze on it far, far apart,”, understood the superior ecological environment and deeply learned the history of Shaoguan City. Furthermore, the youth ventured into Danxiashan, engaging in activities such as experiencing vegetarian meals at temples and retracing the ancient post roads. These experiences allowed them to embrace and explore the breathtaking scenery and spectacular nature of Danxiashan, learn to value labor and treasure food, appreciate their current happy lives and foster a sense of gratitude towards their hometown.
The middle class visited Red Army Long March Memorial Hall to relive the heroic battles and fiery years of the revolutionary martyrs, learning about the arduous life of the soldiers during the period of Long March of the Red Army. They also visited Renhua County Library, Danxiashan Museum, and science popularization routes in Danxiashan, interpreting the profound history embodied in Renhua County, Jinjiang River and Danxiashan.
The junior class organized a series of relaxing and fun experiential activities, including taking cruise and cable cars, visiting ancient villages, and engaging in DIY crafts. Through these interesting activities, children gained a deeper understanding of their hometown and their parents’ work environment, planting the seeds of “loving hometown and being grateful” in their hearts.
As of this year, the summer camp has been held for five consecutive years, fostering a sense of identity, belonging, and pride among local youth through various research-based learning activities. The youth also expressed that “Every year brings new experiences, and every participation allows us to gain new knowledge.” Xiao Tan, who has participated for five consecutive years, said, “Although I participate every year, my role in the team changes as I grow older. Through the summer camp, I have gained not only professional science popularization knowledge but also the spirit of teamwork and the mindset of exploration and creativity.”
The activity was hosted by Danxiashan Administrative Committee, Shaoguan and undertaken by Shaoguan Danxia Science Popularization and Field Study Center. It received full support from Danxiashan Tourism Investment and Management Co., Ltd., Xiangyuan Danxia Tourism Investment (Guangdong) Co., Ltd., Shaoguan Danxia Tourism Bus Co., Ltd., Shaoguan Danxia Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd., and all science popularization schools in Danxiashan Science Popularization Town.
