Global Times: Bilingual narrator bridges cultural divides, shares early days of CPC with the world

As the Communist Party of China (CPC) marks its 105th founding anniversary, the Global Times launches a special series focusing on young Party members who are "honorer," "striver" and "torchbearer" that inherit ideals, shoulder responsibilities and carry forward the spirit of the Party in their own ways, showing how faith continues to be passed on from generation to generation. This installment tells the story of "torchbearer" Mao Haofu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Jinggangshan Spirit Lecture Group, and the first bilingual narrator of Jinggangshan Spirit in East China's Jiangxi Province. He was awarded the title of model worker of Jiangxi Province this year.

In the Jinggangshan Revolution Museum in East China's Jiangxi Province, a familiar scene often greets visitors: a young man in formal attire speaks fluent English to international visitors who have traveled far to learn more about the place, the cradle of the Chinese revolution. It was here, back in 1927, that the CPC founded its first rural revolutionary base and embarked on the path to encircle cities from the countryside.

The young man is Mao Haofu, who was born in Jinggangshan in 1989 and holds a master's degree in finance earned in the UK. But now, he is Jiangxi's first bilingual narrator dedicated to tell the story of the Jinggangshan Spirit - standing firm in convictions, working hard, seeking truth from facts, daring to break new roads, relying on people and fighting for victories. Familiar with the tales behind every revolutionary relic, he has become a walking encyclopedia of the Jinggangshan Spirit. From an overseas-educated finance postgraduate to a torchbearer of the red legacy, Mao has been dedicated to ensure the Jinggangshan Spirit resonates not only at home but across oceans, reaching audiences around the globe.

When asked about his career shift from finance to narrator, Mao Haofu speaks of his grandfather Mao Binghua, widely known as "the foremost narrator of the Jinggangshan Spirit."

"In the 1960s, my grandfather answered the call to support the development of old revolutionary base areas and came to Jinggangshan. He took part in establishing the Jinggangshan Revolution Museum," Mao Haofu told the Global Times.

During the museum's founding, his grandpa led groundbreaking work including collecting cultural relics, gathering historical records and interviewing descendants of the Red Army. "My grandpa devoted half his life to Jinggangshan, forging an unbreakable bond with this sacred red land," Mao Haofu said.

The Jinggangshan Revolution Museum was built to commemorate Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base. It is the first local museum of revolutionary history in China and is listed among the first batch of 83 national first-class museums.

To Mao Haofu, his grandfather turned his back on a comfortable life in the provincial capital and headed for Jinggangshan, volunteering to share the Jinggangshan Spirit for no less than five decades. Mao Binghua received more than 260 honors in his lifetime, including the outstanding Party member, national ethical role model and the May Day national labor medal.

"My grandfather's dedication to the revolutionary cause, reverence for red history and unwavering commitment to fulfilling his mission left an indelible mark on me. Having grown up surrounded by this red heritage, I felt a seed took root deep in my heart. That seed became my core motivation to walk away from my established career in finance, return to Jinggangshan and carry forward the work of telling red stories. It drove me to pick up the baton and inherit this legacy," Mao Haofu told the Global Times.

In 2016, Mao Haofu quit his job in provincial capi...