The Youth Years

The film employs a cross-temporal perspective and episodic structure, traversing the historical span of the Communist Youth League's centennial and showcasing the pulse of youth across different eras and geographical contexts. Divided into five chapters—"Echoes," "Stars," "Light," "Listen," and "Hot Snow"—the film extensively explores the struggles of youth groups in each era, selecting young people from different periods and backgrounds, including "underground Communist Youth League members," "second-generation aerospace workers," "entrepreneurial college students," "volunteer teachers," and "Beijing Winter Olympics service personnel." From the self-sacrifice for national salvation to the arduous pioneering work in the aerospace industry, from the pioneering spirit of reform and opening up to the responsible efforts in targeted poverty alleviation and the passionate compassion of young doctors…

Chapter One, "Echoes,"

The story takes place in the Harbin Harmonica Society, a unique left-wing cultural stronghold in the history of the Northeast Anti-Japanese War. Using the "Dehui Foreign Firm" as a cover, the Harbin Harmonica Society was responsible for secret meetings, recruiting Party members and Youth League members, and other organizational activities. In the early spring of 1936, due to betrayal, the secret service set a search trap using "Guoguang" brand harmonicas as bait. They arranged for an uninvited guest to impersonate a liaison with the harmonica club, staging a "thief crying 'stop thief'" scenario and mistakenly targeting the wealthy young Du Roujia who had come to pick up the harmonica. In the nick of time, Lao Shen discovered the secret service's plot and cleverly defused the crisis by playing a piece of music, causing the uninvited guest to reveal his weakness. Through this experience, Du Roujia strengthened her resolve to join the Harbin Harmonica Club and fight alongside everyone.

Chapter Two: "Stars"

In the Dongfeng Aerospace City of Jiuquan, Gansu, 19-year-old Liu Fanxing moved to the "Zone 10" (Dongfeng Aerospace City) family quarters after her father was temporarily transferred to work there, staying with the Liang family. She befriended the lively and sunny Liang Wanhu through music and also met Lu Xuelin, a boy who loved physics and astronomy. To fulfill her promise to her father, Liu Fanxing needed to find a radio that could receive a specific frequency to listen to "songs from the universe." Thus, she, along with Liang Wanhu and Lu Xuelin, embarked on a journey to build a semiconductor radio. Through continuous experimentation, they collected materials such as diodes, transistors, capacitors, resistors, and semiconductor materials, successfully creating a semiconductor radio. Just as the Dongfanghong-1 satellite was launched, their radio emitted a crackling sound—"sounds from the universe"—the song "Dongfanghong" broadcast from space by the rocket. In the process of building the radio, Liu Fanxing, Liang Wanhu, and Lu Xuelin grew continuously, witnessing and inheriting China's aerospace industry and its spirit.

Chapter Three: "Light"

In Guangzhou in 1984, university graduate Chen Guang, wanting to prove himself to his girlfriend Lin Meng and her father, conceived the idea of ​​starting a night market illuminated by lights. To light up the market, Chen Guang braved the rain to repair lights, overcoming difficulties. Lin Meng was moved by his efforts and decided to help him. Finally, everything was ready. Chen Guang laid the power lines, Lin Meng attracted customers, and the Erhu brothers recruited stall owners. The alley lights came on, vendors hawked their wares, and people flocked to the shops. At the height of the festivities, all the lights on the street suddenly went out. Lin Meng's father, acting as the street director, called for a halt. A customer lit a flashlight, and neighbors came downstairs to light lanterns and candles, expressing the need for a night market. Lin Meng's father was moved by the efforts of Chen Guang and the support of the people. Two weeks later, at Lin Meng's father's suggestion, the government specifically planned a street to host a night market. Chen Guang finally gained Lin Meng's father's approval, and the first night market in China officially opened.

Chapter Four: "Listen"

Teacher Zhuang, who came to teach at a rural primary school in Yunnan, gathered music-loving children in the village to form a band called New Nine (Milk) for a music competition. Teacher Zhuang explained his musical philosophy of "harmony between man and nature" to the children and took them to connect with nature. During rehearsals, each child experienced personal growth. They rehearsed together, overcame numerous challenges, and their team spirit gradually solidified. Just when the band was facing the predicament of missing the auditions, New Nine band worked together with the villagers to transform a simple cowshed into a cozy live house, and successfully uploaded their performance video through an online platform.

Chapter Five: "Passion"

To prepare for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China formed a team of ski doctors. Young intern doctor Ma Hao, along with experienced mentor Lao Yang and other doctors, went to the Wanlong Ski Resort in Zhangjiakou to participate in the training of ski doctors for the Winter Olympics. Because his father had an accident while skiing when he was young, Ma Hao had a strong aversion to skiing and chose to stay put. During the skiing trip, Dr. Lao Yang suddenly suffered a heart attack and had an accident on the slopes. In a critical moment, Ma Hao remembered the guidance and encouragement from Lao Yang and his father, overcame his years of psychological barriers, and used his excellent skiing skills to arrive at the scene of Lao Yang's accident immediately to provide treatment, buying precious rescue time. Through this rescue experience, Ma Hao not only overcame his childhood aversion to skiing but also gained a clearer understanding of the connotation and significance of "medical compassion" on the Olympic stage. In 2022, after four years of training, China's first ski medical support team appeared on the field of the Beijing Winter Olympics. They stayed at their posts and successfully completed every emergency rescue mission.