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At 0:00 on August 25, the freshmen of Tsinghua University Class of 2024 officially started their 20-kilometer night military training.

At noon on the same day, Jiupai News contacted Zhu, a freshman in the Department of Physics who had just finished the training. He said: "The overall feeling is pretty good. It's not as tiring as I imagined. Another student in our department was not satisfied with the training. He returned to school at 4 a.m. and ran another 4,000 meters."

Tsinghua University's 2024 freshmen are doing a night practice, passing through the second school gate. Photo: Tsinghua University

The 20-kilometer night military training is a tradition of Tsinghua University since 1985, and it has continued for 39 years. In order to prepare for this training, Zhu and his roommate bought a lot of snacks in advance and stuffed them into the pockets of their military training uniforms. They also drank a cup of coffee to refresh themselves.

He said that on the afternoon of the 24th, the instructors began to teach the students how to pack their own quilts. At 11:30 that night, the students assembled in the East China University playground and officially set off at 0:00 on the 25th. When they set off, the Tsinghua University Military Band played military music to cheer the students on.

During the training, there were always vehicles cruising nearby, students from the sharp knife class with better physical fitness led the way, the instructors wore reflective vests throughout the training, and the counselors also accompanied them. If any students were unwell or had difficulty persisting, they could ask for a signal to withdraw midway. There were rest areas during the training, and each department distributed supplies to comfort the students.

Because the journey is long and the time is late, students tend to feel tired and sleepy in the second half. "We chat, practice oral English, discuss some math problems, or play turtle soup games, which makes us more energetic," said Zhu.

Jiupai News reporter Yan Huayang

Editor: Wang Jiaqing Li Yang

【Revelation】Please contact the reporter on WeChat: linghaojizhe

[Source: Jiupai News]