Young Pioneers of China standing honour guard at the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tiananmen SquareA group of Young Pioneers in Tiananmen Square in October 2007
The Youth and Children of China Movement (simplified Chinese: 中国少年儿童队; traditional Chinese: 中國少年兒童隊; pinyin: Zhōngguó shàonián értóng duì) was created on October 13, 1949, by the CCP, and given its present name in June 1953. Between its own founding in 1921 and the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, the CCP ran various other youth movements in communist-held areas.
During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1978), the Young Pioneers Movement was temporarily dismantled. It was replaced by the Little Red Guards, who were the younger counterparts of the Red Guards, the implementers of the Cultural Revolution. The Young Pioneers Movement was restarted in October 1978.
During the Chinese Civil War ( or the War of Liberation), the Young Pioneers in various warzones were developed on the basis of the anti-Japanese children's leagues. In areas governed by the Kuomintang, the underground Young Pioneers organization made positive contributions to the victory of the War of Liberation.[3]
The transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong and Macau in 1997 and 1999 respectively has not seen the expansion of CCP organizations (except two small working committees in Liaison Office of HK & Macau) to those areas, including the Young Pioneers.
Membership
Young Pioneers consist of children between the ages of six and fourteen; upon reaching the age of fourteen, members automatically exit the Young Pioneers and may optionally go on to join the Communist Youth League.[4]
Most elementary school students are Young Pioneers by the time they graduate from grade school. Most of the schools require students of the right age to become Young Pioneers.[5] As of the end of 2023, the number of registered Young Pioneers in China is 114.807 million.[6]
Young Pioneers are immersed in CCP ideology and wear red scarves as a symbol of their commitment. Joining the Young Pioneers is seen as a normal part of growing up, a rite of passage, or a social expectation in China.
Organization
According to the Young Pioneers constitution,[4] each school or village organizes a Pioneer Battalion (大队; Dàduì), which is divided into Pioneer Companies (中队; Zhōngduì) each corresponding to a class, which is then further divided into Pioneer Squads/Teams (小队; Xiǎoduì) each with a handful of members. Each team has a leader (队长; Duìzhǎng) and an assistant leader (副队长; Fùduìzhǎng), ; each of the school Companies is led by a committee of between three and seven members; and a Young Pioneers Committee (队委会; Duìwěihuì) of between seven and fifteen members serve as the battalion leadership staff. Adult leaders are chosen from either the Communist Youth League or from local teaching staff (called counselor, 辅导员; Fǔdǎoyuán).
Young Pioneers are also directed by a number of Working Committees (少先队工作委员会; Shǎoxiānduìgōngzuòwěiyuánhuì or 少工委; Shǎogōngwěi in short) at different levels over the battalion level up to the National Permanent Standing Commission (中国少年先锋队全国工作委员会; Zhōngguó Shǎonián Xiānfēngduì Quánguó Gōngzuò Wěiyuánhuì or 全国少工委; Quánguó Shǎogōngwěi in short), Working Committees of different levels are responsible to the Congresses of Young Pioneers (少先队代表大会; Shǎoxiānduì Dàibiǎodàhuì or 少代会; Shǎodàihuì in short) at the same level. The current chairperson of the NPSC-YPC is He Junke.
Constitution
The Constitution was officially passed on June 1, 1954, on international Children's Day. It has since been amended many times. The full text is available on Wikisource.
According to the Young Pioneers Constitution, the flag is red, symbolizing the victory of the Revolution; the five-pointed star in the middle symbolizes the leadership of the CCP, while the torch symbolizes brightness down the path of communism.
The Pioneer Battalion flag is 90 x 120 cm, while the flag of each Company is 60 x 80 cm, with an isosceles triangle (60 x 20 cm) removed from the right side. The removed triangle corresponds to the red scarf worn by Young Pioneers.
League Emblem
Official emblem of the Young Pioneers, referred to as ”league emblem" (Chinese: 队徽）
The emblem consists of the gold star, the torch, and a gold scroll reading "The Young Pioneers of China" in Mandarin.
Red Scarf
The red scarf (Chinese: 红领巾; pinyin: hónglǐngjīn) is the only uniform item. Young Pioneers are often referred to simply as "Red Scarves"; the investiture ceremony often consists of new members having their scarves tied for them by existing members. Children wearing red scarves are a ubiquitous sight in China.
The red scarf is generally worn around the neck and tied, with no woggle. Some local groups also come up with other uniform items.
The Young Pioneers Constitution explains that the scarf corresponds to the missing triangle on the Pioneer Company flag. The Constitution also explains that the red of the scarf comes from the blood sacrificed by martyrs of the Revolution, and that all members should therefore wear the scarf with reverence.
Salute
The Young Pioneers Salute consists of bending the right arm and raising the right hand directly above the head, symbolizing people's interests are above all else. the palm flat and facing downwards, and the fingers together. It symbolizes that the interests of the People supersede all.
Young Pioneers must salute when raising and lowering the national flag, when the Young Pioneer's team flag appears and leaves the field, in front of the cemetery of revolutionary matyrs (such as Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery) and when participating in team activities and ceremonies. On other occasions in daily life, such as meeting division commanders and teachers, they also perform the salute.
Ceremony Agenda: Slogan, Conduct, Oath
During the ceremony, the call leader faces their teammates. After the "call sign" command, the call leader and his companions raise their right hand and clench their fist, level with their right ear, with their fist facing forward, to pledge. After the call is completed, the leader lowers their right fist, and the Young Pioneers follow suit.
Translation: I am a member of the Young Pioneers of China. Under the Flag of the Young Pioneers I swear: I will love the Communist Party of China, the motherland, and the people; I will study hard, strengthen myself [lit. exercise well], and prepare thus: to contribute my strength to the cause of communism.
At the end of the ceremony, the counselor, all Young Pioneer members and flag bearers salute. The flag-bearing group exits the venue, accompanied by music.
Song
The Young Pioneers song is We are the heirs of communism (Chinese: 《我们是共产主义接班人》; pinyin: Wǒmen shì Gòngchǎnzhǔyì Jiēbānrén). It was originally the theme song of Heroic Little Eighth-Routers (Chinese: 《英雄小八路》; pinyin: Yīngxióng Xiǎo Bālù), a 1961 film about the 1958 Second Taiwan Strait Crisis and a real-life group of children who stayed on the frontlines of coastal Fujian in order to help the war effort against Kuomintang forces.
Inherited the glorious traditions of revolutionary precursors.
Loving homeland, loving people,
Bright red scarves fluttering in our chests.
Dauntless of distress, fearless of enemy,
Studying hard and struggling firmly.
Towards victory we march with gallantry,
Towards victory we march with gallantry, march,
Towards victory we march with gallantry,
We are the successors of communism。
我们是共产主义接班人，
继承革命先辈的光荣传统，
爱祖国，爱人民，
鲜艳的红领巾飘扬在前胸。
不怕困难，不怕敌人，
顽强学习，坚决斗争。
向着胜利勇敢前进，
向着胜利勇敢前进前进，
向着胜利勇敢前进，
我们是共产主义接班人。
Verse 2 (English Translation)
We are the successors of communism,
Along the glorious path set by revolutionary precursors.
Loving homeland, loving people,
Young pioneer is the name whereof we are proud.
Always ready to render meritorious service,
We must eradicate all the enemies.
Towards ideal we march with gallantry,
Towards ideal we march with gallantry, march,
Towards ideal we march with gallantry,
We are the successors of communism.
我们是共产主义接班人，
沿着革命先辈的光荣路程，
爱祖国，爱人民，
少先队员是我们骄傲的名称。
时刻准备，建立功勋，
要把敌人，消灭干净。
为着理想勇敢前进，
为着理想勇敢前进前进，
为着理想勇敢前进，
我们是共产主义接班人。
Dress Code
Similar to other members of the Pioneer movement worldwide, the full dress uniform is white or blue shirt or polo with undershirt (or skirts for girls) and pants with the red scarf and badges attached to the shirt, with an optional headdress such as a beret. Sometimes even school uniforms are used, the addition being the red scarf, the optional headdress cap and the organizational and rank badges. During sports events YPs wear athletic uniforms.
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