LIFE IN A MICROCOSM

In the night of May 3, students from Peking University and other universities
gathered in a hall. Student representatives gave speeches and the audience could hardly sit still. Excitement and anxiety were written on their faces.

It started on May 1, when some students in PKU heard about the agreement to be signed at the Peace Conference held in Paris. In the agreement, also known as the “Twenty-one Demands”, the privileges that Germany held in Shandong Province were to be given to Japan, including concessions, tax policies, etc.

A flicker of fire started to burn into a flame and then a blaze. On May 4, 1919, 3000 students from different universities in Beijing demonstrated and marched towards the political center of the country, Tiananmen Square, despite the resistance of the military police.

"Fight until death, give our Qingdao back!" "Retake the rights in Shandong!" "Fight for sovereignty and clean out the quislings!" students shouted as they headed straight into the Square.

Later, the representative of the Chinese government did not sign the agreement at the Conference and several government officials were dismissed in response to the protest.

90 years later, their calls in the Square are still ringing in our ears. As university students, we should not struggle only for a brighter future of ourselves, but fight also for a better future for the country. China is no longer what it used to be but this does not reduce at all our responsibilities and duties.