XDU’s original play Guiding Stars, created to promote the spirit of scientists and educators, held its first public performance at the theater of the South Campus of Xidian University.

As a tribute commemorating the centenary of the birth of Yiping Wang, founder of the physics discipline at Xidian University (XDU), the play was jointly directed by the university and the Xi’an People’s Art Theatre and performed by XDU’s teachers and students. It vividly portrays the half-century life journey of Yiping Wang and his wife, Changbi Hu, in serving the nation through science and education.

Before the liberation, inspired by CPC members and patriotic engineers, Wang and Hu made their lifelong vow amidst the flames of war: “using their knowledge to make the motherland strong.”

After joining the university, Wang compiled textbooks, established the Department of Physics, and advocated that “a strong engineering discipline requires a solid foundation in basic sciences.” Hu, with wisdom and perseverance, supported physics experimental teaching, promoted “reforms in creative experimental teaching,” and advocated that educators should “guide students in ways they hardly notice.” Together, the couple drove the integrated and innovative development of science and engineering at the university, passing on the legacy of unwavering dedication to the country to a new generation of students.

The creative team delved deeply into their work for over ten months, conducting in-depth interviews with 16 individuals, compiling more than 20 hours of audio-visual materials, and sorting through over 200,000 words of historical documents. These efforts ultimately crystallized into a cultural matrix, which profoundly informed the creation of the play.

Yu Yanni, the play’s screenwriter and director from the Xi’an People’s Art Theatre, repeatedly emphasized the creative philosophy: “What we want to present are not lofty, untouchable heroes, but real people with souls, ideals, and struggles!”

The performance concluded with resounding applause in the theater. Guiding Stars is not merely a commemorative performance but also a profound passing of the torch. Today, the basic sciences at Xidian University are embarking on a new journey. Following in the footsteps of Wang and Hu, inheritors on the frontline of basic research keep their original aspirations and mission firmly in mind, continuing to pass on the flame of education.

Source: XDU News

张一铭 Yiming Zhang; 蔡芸泽 Yunze Cai