The 2026 "Golden Sunshine" summer study tour was recently held in Beijing, with a total of 90 teachers and students gathering in the capital city.

They come from Xunhua County and Ledu District of Qinghai Province, Shibing County of Guizhou Province, Jingning, Huining and Zhangxian counties of Gansu Province, Longxian County of Shaanxi Province, Shaoyang County of Hunan Province, Xixian County of Shanxi Province. Except for Zhangxian that is a target assistance county of the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF), all the rest places have built paired-up assistance partnerships with China Investment Corporation (CIC).

The study tour was hosted by the CIC and co-organized by New China Life Insurance Company and the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF).

At the icebreaking session themed rural revitalization, students acted as "hometown ambassadors" — taking turns to introduce local specialties such as handcrafted flowershaped steamed buns, batik hair ornaments and dried apricots.

The venue was filled with cheers and laughter. A teacher from Longxian remarked with delight: "When the children proudly introduce their hometown's products and culture, they have moved from their 'small families' to the 'greater family'". The activity helped the once shy and reserved youngsters open up and engage enthusiastically with one another.

The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

The Long March was an epic military trek from 1934 to 1936, during which the CPC-led Red Army broke through encirclement by Kuomintang forces. Red Army soldiers braved raging rivers, snow-covered mountains and treacherous grasslands, with some marching as far as 12,500 kilometers. The maneuver helped lay the foundation for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution.

At Tian'anmen Square, students raised their arms to salute the national flag. A student from Huining, with tears glistening in her eyes, said, "It was in my hometown where three fronts of the Red Army joined forces after the Long March. Standing at Tian'anmen Square today, I truly understand the preciousness of today's peaceful life. We should remain undaunted like the Red Army and forge ahead on the new journey."

At the Museum of the Communist Party of China, the Party's centurylong arduous journey unfolded in front of students through paintings and exhibits. Pausing in front of the oil painting Songs of the Long March, a student from Ledu said, "My father told me that without these heroes, we would not have our happy life today. I will take these stories back to my hometown so that more people will remember the sacrifices and perseverance of our forebears."

The exhibits and stories behind them reviewed the great journey from the war-torn years to the prosperity of the present — helping students to understand the faith that sustains the nation's progress.

Participants visited the Palace Museum and the Temple of Heaven, immersing themselves in the millennia-old Chinese cultural heritage.

Beneath the vermilion walls and glazed tiles, a student from Xixian carefully studied the mortise-and-tenon structure of the palaces and said, "The ancient architecture in our textbooks has come to life. Our ancestors were so wise. I want to take photos and show them to my friends back home."

Each cultural relic on display at the Capital Museum and the National Museum of China served as a window into a different era, with evocative items like weighty bronze vessels, rustic pottery, and exquisite gold-and-silver artifacts. Pausing in front of the painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, a student from Shibing remarked with admiration, "I discover the connection between Miao batik and the blue and green landscapes in this ancient painting. This is the root of the Chinese culture that we must all cherish and protect."

In the evening, they gathered around to savor Beijing roast duck and listened to the introduction of roast duck carving techniques by an intangible cultural heritage inheritor.

At the China Science and Technology Museum, students put on VR headsets and journeyed through a virtual universe. "So black holes really are as mysterious as they appear in books. I want to become an astronaut and explore even farther reaches of the stars," said one student.

At the Humanoid Robot Data Training Center in Shijingshan District of Beijing, students got up close with robots and operated them for the first time. This novel experience opened their minds to the possibilities of technological innovation.

Strolling through the campus of Peking University, students visited its history museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology. They gained a deep understanding that dreams know no boundaries and that every effort can make the future shine brightly. "I hope that one day, I can take my graduation photo here," a student said.

Each night's themed activities added special warmth to the study tour. In the Super First-Aid Class, instructors taught students about cardiopulmonary resuscitation and bandaging techniques hands-on. The students practiced compressions repeatedly on simulation mannequins.

The most moving moment came during the Strength of Role Models growth dialogue night. The CIC's outstanding young employees sat together with students — sharing stories of pursuing dream and personal growth, and exchanging study methods and insights. One said, "Your current circumstances only determine your starting point, not your direction of development."

The closing ceremony fell on the Start of Autumn, marking the arrival of a new season and a fresh start. "We thank every donation, bringing warmth across the changing seasons; we thank every act of assistance, illuminating our youthful aspirations," said students at the ceremony.

Before their departure, students mounted their handwritten wish notes onto a special gift for CIC. "Thank you, dear uncles and aunts!" "I want to become a scientist." "I want to sell my hometown's specialties to the world." "I want to walk out of the mountains and help more children like me." Every word bears the sincerest gratitude and dreams of the children.

This study tour is a vivid epitome of CIC's commitment to educational assistance. As a signature educational assistance program of CIC, "Golden Sunshine" has been held for six consecutive sessions in Beijing, Shanghai and other cities. It has invited more than 300 students to walk out of the mountains and broaden their horizons.

Moving forwards, the CCTF will further deepen its cooperation with CIC to further carry out paired-up assistance, consolidating the foundation of rural development through educational progress, and contributing to the all-around rural revitalization.