On April 5th, coinciding with Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, our college held a meaningful and vibrant tree-planting activity. The high-quality saplings for this event were generously donated by the alumni of the 1993 cohort from the former Norman Bethune Medical University, as a way to give back to their alma mater and further enhance the campus ecological environment. The activity attracted the active participation of many undergraduate students, postgraduate students and international students. Everyone joined hands to sow hope and contribute to building a beautiful campus.

       At 9 a.m., with the gentle spring breeze blowing, college leaders, faculty and staff, alumni and students gathered at the green area on the south side of the college. According to the pre-planned planting area, everyone picked up tools and enthusiastically devoted themselves to the tree-planting activity. Undergraduates were full of vitality, postgraduates operated rigorously, and international students, with curiosity and respect, experienced the cultural connotation of Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, as well as the Chinese-style humanistic feelings and ecological protection awareness through personal participation. During the process, all participants collaborated with each other and jointly planted a “Xinglin”. This tree-planting activity further strengthened the close bond between alumni and the alma mater, created a positive interactive atmosphere, set a good example for students to care about the alma mater and give back to society, and provided a vivid practical platform for cultivating high-quality talents with a sense of social responsibility.

       Every standing tree represents the memory of the past, the cherishing of the present and the expectation for the future. This “Hope Forest”, co-planted by alumni, faculty and students, is bound to become a unique scenic spot on campus, implying respect for life, the pursuit of knowledge and the vision for a better future. With the passage of time as a witness, these trees will grow alongside generations of students from the College of Basic Medical Sciences and also witness the prosperity and development of the college.