"Zhu De" Locomotive Patriotic Education Base

"Zhu De" Locomotive Patriotic Education Base

The "Zhu De" Locomotive Patriotic Education Base is a patriotic education base.

The "Zhu De" locomotive was born in October 1946. In the unique historical era of the early liberation of Northeast China and the special historical mission of national reconstruction, this locomotive named after a great leader was closely tied to the fate of the republic from the moment of its birth.

Over the past 65 years, the "Zhu De" locomotive has been like a grand banner, expressing the patriotic sentiments of the Harbin locomotive workers through extraordinary performances in different eras. During the Korean War, it charged through gunfire and shells; in the "Iron Ox Movement," it was a fearless vanguard; in the "Manchao Wu" campaign, it achieved miracles that later generations found hard to match; during flood rescue efforts, it accomplished new feats in the face of raging waters. With the spirit of "daring to shoulder heavy burdens and striving to be the first," it has always been at the forefront of the nation’s construction, becoming a widely celebrated "pioneer" on the railways.

Over the past 65 years, while hauling more and running faster with safety and punctuality, the "Zhu De" locomotive has also taken on the sacred mission of promoting patriotism without hesitation. Its image has long become a symbol of love for the Party and the country across the entire railway system and even society as a whole. To better fulfill this mission, the Harbin Locomotive Depot of the Harbin Railway Bureau built a 300-square-meter "Zhu De" exhibition room in 1995 on the site of the former Harbin Locomotive Workers' Club. It displayed 144 precious photos since the birth of the "Zhu De" locomotive, preserved over 50 artifacts used by generations of "Zhu De" workers such as hammers, lunch boxes, and driver's licenses, and exhibited various certificates, medals, and awards won by the heroic "Zhu De" workers. Like a history book, it records the growth footsteps of the heroic locomotive over 65 years; like a window, it reveals the patriotic sentiments of a century-old depot that shares the same breath and destiny as the nation.

In 1997, the Harbin Locomotive "Zhu De" exhibition room was named a "National Patriotic Education Base," extending the influence of the "Zhu De" locomotive from within the railway system to the whole of society. This small exhibition room consciously took on the social function of conducting patriotic education. It has hosted over 6,700 international friends, factory and mine workers, primary and secondary school students, and social groups, becoming a major classroom for the Harbin Locomotive Depot to promote patriotism to the public.

In 2002, the Harbin Locomotive Depot relocated southward, but the Harbin Locomotive workers never forgot the important task of rebuilding the "Zhu De" Patriotic Education Base. In 2006, as the "Zhu De" locomotive celebrated the joyous milestone of 7 million safe kilometers, with high attention and strong support from the Railway Bureau and its Party Committee, the Harbin Locomotive workers overcame difficulties and relied on their own efforts to redesign and build a new "Zhu De" exhibition room on the second floor of the Eighth Yard Electric Locomotive Operating Workshop.

The newly built "Zhu De" exhibition room is divided into five major sections, covering an area of 128 square meters. Building upon the original photos and artifacts, it incorporates a large amount of high-tech elements, with clearer layering, richer exhibits, more rational design, and a more prominent theme. It serves as mandatory educational content for all new employees after joining the depot and better fulfills the sacred mission of patriotic education.