Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

Tracing the historical context to探求和平的真谛，8月初，一场跨越国界的和平之约悄然启幕。来自中国、老挝、越南、缅甸、柬埔寨、马来西亚、印度尼西亚的青年博主和媒体从业者，以及云南省驻老挝、柬埔寨、法国商务代表处等相关代表20余人齐聚云南，参加由云南省人民对外友好协会主办、云南省南亚东南亚区域国际传播中心承办的“心联通 云南行”海外传播官孵化营。大家学习短视频创作与AI视频制作技术能力，不断增强内容的传播力与感染力，共同讲述命运与共、共享和平、共谋发展的故事。 Through 5 days of training and field visits, the participants deeply felt that peace is not only the absence of smoke, but also the intergenerational inheritance of guardianship, empathy across borders, and the common commitment written by the younger generation with words and actions.

Myanmar students and Myanmar hosts discuss Myanmar photos on display at the Kunming City Museum.

I read the stories of my ancestors here.

On a summer afternoon, inside the Nanqiao Machinery Workers Branch Museum of Kunming City, Xiamen University's Malaysian graduate student Cai Shunming held up his camera, and the lens lingered on an old photo for a long time. The photo depicted the South China Company Machinery Workers from Sabah, Malaysia, which reminded her of the words often挂在 her grandmother's mouth: "A group of people with passion returned to the country, willing to risk their lives."

"Li Yaliu, a good friend of my grandfather, was the person my grandmother often mentioned as 'daring to risk his life,'" said Cai Shunming. During the Anti-Japanese War, Li Yaliu came to Yunnan from Malaysia and joined the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Machinery Team. In the study of Cai Shunming's family, the回忆of the Nanyang Overseas Chinese Machinery Team wrote: on the Yunnan-Burma Road, I have seen teammates falling off the cliff with the car and people, and heard the roar of beasts and wolves in the middle of the night... I always held the steering wheel tightly, hoping to protect this "life line of the war" with the sound of the motor.

"Ancestral home, homeland, birthplace," these words were always jumbled in my mind," said Cai Shunming, whose family history hides the migration story of a generation of Chinese - her great-grandfather set off from Jinmen County, Jinhu Town, Fujian Province, sailing back and forth to Singapore to do business; her grandfather then moved the family from Singapore to Sarawak, Malaysia, where they settled down. As a child, Cai Shunming listened to the adults talk about "the country being in trouble, needing to contribute money and strength," but she didn't understand why her ancestors were so passionate about "returning to the country to contribute."

At 18, Cai Shunmeng applied for the Chinese International Education Program at Xiamen University. In the familiar Minnan culture, she felt as if she had returned to the place where her great-grandfather set off. Standing in the South China Overseas Chinese Museum, looking at the photos of the ancestors who left their families and jobs to join the national crisis, Cai Shunmeng finally understood the "unforgettable concern" that her grandmother often mentioned. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. Hearing that Malaysia is going to build a memorial for the South China Overseas Chinese in Kuala Lumpur, she is even more convinced that "peace needs the protection of generations, and the future needs the co-construction of generations."

The discussion on the theme of peace in the course gave her a new insight. As an undergraduate, she and her foreign student partners made a video comparing Chinese and foreign cultures, interpreting Chinese intangible cultural heritage from the perspective of foreigners; now, she wants to continue to study the Nanyao Automobile Workers in her doctoral stage, to be the "thread that串珠es". "My great-grandfather connected the two places with a cargo ship, and the Nanyao Automobile Workers used trucks to connect the lifeline. I want to use language and stories to let more Chinese see the roots of Chinese culture," said Cai Shunming.

The old photos of the Flying Tigers on display in the Hall of Remembrance for the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression

The Tigers are not only a historical phenomenon

In the glass display cases of the Memorial Hall for the Victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a series of exhibits with historical memories are quietly on display: steel helmets with bullet marks, worn-out rubber shoes, yellowed documents, and even the pilot's glasses, rusted bullet shells and radiators, and even the daily items such as the lunch boxes and lipsticks from that year are also among them. These exhibits connect the glorious years of the Flying Tigers.

Nowadays, the term "Flying Tigers" has long transcended the scope of a piece of war history, becoming a symbol of peace guarded by all countries.

"Today, I had the opportunity to visit here and see so many exhibits, and I saw the respect that the Chinese have for the Flying Tigers." Nguyen Me Luon, a student at the Open University of Hanoi, Vietnam, said. When she saw the lipstick of an American nurse in the airport rescue team in the exhibits, she felt that these historical figures were alive and that these friends should be cherished by the world. During the visit, she became interested in a flag on a poster of an old photo - this flag had not only English but also Myanmar. "Different languages represent different countries, and peace is the result of the joint efforts of various countries and nations. Peace is not easily achieved, and we young people also need to work together for it."

"Everyone, please take a look at this group of photos," said Gan Yun, the executive vice president of the Yunnan Tiger Team Research Association, and as soon as her words were out, the Chinese and foreign visitors gathered together, focusing their attention on listening. The photos, which show the smiles of the Tiger Team members with Chinese children, the美军 nurses busily working beside the stretchers, and the U.S. soldiers gathering in the tent camp... each scene captivated the visitors, drawing them in and making them ponder. "When you pass by here, be sure to bring your children in to see," said a tourist from Xunwei, Yunnan, firmly holding her elementary school-age child. She wanted her child to understand the concept of home and country, and to experience the weight of guarding peace.

"The essence of peace is respect and inclusiveness," Gan Yun said, looking at the visitors of different skin colors. "In fact, the desire of people of all countries for peace and the heart of guarding their homes are common." He mentioned that the people of many countries in the world have fought for peace and paid a heavy price. "We should cherish this peace even more now." As soon as he finished speaking, applause broke out, and the resonance of peace echoed in the air for a long time.

Incubation camp students visit the Memorial Hall for the Victory of the Anti-Japanese War

Peace is not just the absence of smoke

"What can we, the youth, do to protect peace?" The students asked one after another in this history-laden classroom.

Professor Cao Peixin, Vice-Dean of the School of Journalism at Communication University of China, said: "Peace cannot be achieved just by relying on slogans." He emphasized that only by recognizing the reality, transcending hatred, and promoting cooperation can we truly move towards peace. "Do not be a slave to traffic, but be a guardian of the truth. By reporting the truth and clarifying the complex world, we can make the voice of peace more powerful."

In the classroom, Professor Xuejun Liu of Yunnan University recounted the stories of the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway and the Hump Air Route. He believes that these "lifelines" of the war of resistance are not only transportation channels, but also a testament to the intertwined fates of people from multiple countries. TheYunnan people participated in the construction of the railway and the transportation of grain, while people from Southeast Asia risked their lives to support the allies and fight in Myanmar... "Peace is the courage to resist side by side," he said.

At the closing ceremony of the incubator camp, students used AI technology to make the members of the Flying Tigers in old photos "speak", and they "told" the deep meaning behind the shark-style fighter jets. At this moment, AI is no longer just a technical tool, but has become a bridge connecting history and the present, conveying the appreciation for peace.

Zhao Mingyan, a Lao staff member of the South Grid Lancang-Meikong International Lao-China Power Investment Co., Ltd., couldn't help but be moved by the scene in front of her. She shared a photo of a night market in Luang Prabang, Laos, where local vendors have carefully transformed unexploded shells left over from the war into keychains, bottle openers, and other daily trinkets. She whispered, "Turning these pieces of pain into a means of livelihood is not only to remember the hardships of the past, but also to tell the world—peace is so precious."

Nguyen Van Long, a Vietnamese student at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said: "Peace is independence and autonomy. A country that firmly grasps its own destiny, where the people are well-fed, clothed, and able to live and work in peace and contentment, that is true peace."