The rise and fall of Yu County and the speed and slowness of education

The feeling of being in Yu County is like sitting on a treasure. For example, Xiaowutai, a holy place for hikers that I have always thought about, is located in Yu County. But this time, what surprised me even more was the long history and culture of Yu County.

Due to its special geographical location, located between the mountains that separate the farming civilization of North China and the nomadic peoples of the north, this rare basin and plain - from the Qin and Han Dynasties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, has always been a prosperous place and a must for military strategists. This geographical feature has also created a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic intersection in Yu County. When you visit the Yu County Museum, you will be deeply shocked by this. Unexpectedly, Yu County, which many people cannot find on the map, actually contains a brilliant civilization.

But why do we rarely hear it in modern times? The so-called 800 villages, 800 castles, and 800 theaters are now almost completely damaged, and have not become a tourist destination like Fenghuang, Wuzhen, or the Yao Family Courtyard. Economically, Yu County, three hours away from Beijing, is still one of the 590 poor counties in the country.

If you ask people in Yu County what the local pillar industry is, the answer you will get is: it used to be coal mines. After liberation, the decades when coal mines were opened were the best years for Yu County's modern economy. At that time, young people did not like to study. They could just follow their relatives to mine coal and make money. Who would still want to study?

However, a saying among the elderly has come true - coal mines destroyed two generations of people in Yu County.

If you can make quick money, who would want to start a business slowly?

Who is willing to put in the hard work when it can be done quickly?

Education, culture, industry, environment, and ecology are all things that require slow work. They can continue to develop for a long time, but in the face of the profit-making momentum of coal mines, who can care about these things.

The mentality of getting rich overnight not only hurts the economy, but also hurts people’s mentality.

Whatever comes quickly must go quickly. Small coal mines were crazy in Yu County for a while, and similarly, its decline was only an instant. At this time, if we try to find the ancient city of Yuzhou with its long history and profound culture, it has already changed beyond recognition.

This is the same as doing education and running kindergartens.

Are we trying to save time and trouble, or are we looking for the long-term development of our children?

Do we want to please parents, or do we insist on doing the right thing?

Do we want to make our performance look good on the surface, or leave something real for future generations?

Yunfei in Yu County on August 27, 2020