The Creative Process of Boy Scouts in China

The story of four days and three nights ■ Our intern Rao Xiaoyan Our reporter Zhu Dawen

10 years ago (1999), it took China scouts four days and three nights to win the highest honor award in the international scout competition-"Calef Warriors Award", which is the only time that China team won the highest honor award in this competition. Writer Zhan Ping embroidered for five years and interviewed the contestants one by one. After 10 years, he finally wrote this long reportage with nearly 300,000 words.

The "Ehrner Assault" international scout competition, which started in 1992, is an international open military competition organized by Estonia's Ministry of Defence, and foreign reconnaissance troops are invited to participate. The reconnaissance team carried out long-distance multi-topic reconnaissance operations in "enemy-occupied areas", and the content, environment and time of the competition exceeded the physiological limit. Participants must bear a weight of 35 to 40 kilograms. Without supplies, there was containment before, followed by pursuers. They made a long-distance raid for four days and three nights in the virgin forest in eastern Estonia, where the fighting environment was the worst in the world, and completed 14 difficult technical subjects, which was definitely a contest between will and physical strength.

Calef was a heavyweight in Estonia and a national hero during the Second World War, just like Yue Fei, who was respected by the people of China. Therefore, the grand prize is named after him.

After China's team won the prize, domestic writers and artists borrowed materials from him more than once, such as the novel Spike, the drama Elna Assault and the TV series Scout Honor, but no works ever described this process positively.

Jan Ping Xiu, who has returned to Lishui, said that she wrote China Scout to commemorate the wisdom and courage of China soldiers. At that time, the reconnaissance team was formed by Lanzhou Military Region. As the founder of the workshop of the Political Department of Lanzhou Military Region, Zhan Pingxiu has a firm belief that he must record the whole process of China scouts participating in the competition.

"I chose reportage to write in this form, just to truly restore the situation of the contest and the spirit of China scouts." Zhan Ping embroidery said that she tried to accumulate all kinds of materials. She began to collect data in 2002, and it took her five years to accumulate rich data. She interviewed the contestants many times, so that China Scout can truly and accurately reflect the four-day and three-night competition of China Scouts with words, tables, pictures and accurate data.

"We are human beings, we are not gods. Scouts will feel tired even if they make mistakes on the court. " Jan Ping Xiu said that what impressed me most in the interview was the speeches of the team members. In many novels and TV plays, the image of scouts is always brilliant and great, but in her reportage, the deeds and images of scouts have been truly restored, though not perfect, but true.

Being able to describe the military story in such a true and meticulous way benefits from Zhan's life experience and enthusiasm. Although she was born in Jiangnan, Zhejiang, she didn't want a man. On the eighth day, she went to Karakorum, stationed in the Gobi on the northern edge of Lop Nur, participated in the aid construction of the West-East Gas Pipeline Project, and fell asleep every night listening to the howling of the northwest wolves. Whether on the plateau or at the top of the snowy mountain, Zhan Pingxiu and the soldiers are looking for strength and courage in a difficult environment.

Prior to this, she wrote a long reportage "China soldiers who are idle". The novel "The Red Ribbon on the Sky Road" also won the first prize of the whole army's novel and the silver prize of the National Population and Culture Award.

Soldiers assault, spikes, bright swords ... No matter TV series or novels, military-themed works are sought after and loved by the audience. Everyone appreciates the spirit of a revolutionary army on the screen and in the text, and has a deeper understanding of the other side of the soldiers. If there are still exaggerated and fictional elements in TV series and novels, then the long reportage "China Scout" is not only a true photo of the stadium scene and process, but also a faithful record of the spirit.

Zhan Ping embroidery said that the original intention of writing this book is pure: from the heart, from admiration.