新愚公移山

"The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains" is a well-known fable from ancient China, first appearing in the text 'Liezi'. It tells the story of an old man named Yu Gong who resolves to move two mountains in front of his house with his family. Despite some people considering him foolish, he believes that through the persistent efforts of his descendants, the mountains will eventually be moved. This story embodies the spirit of perseverance and determination. Mao Zedong also used this story in 1945, reinterpreting it as a symbol of collective action, urging people to unite and overcome difficulties. In Mao's interpretation, the two mountains pressing down on the Chinese people were imperialism and feudalism. He used this to encourage the people to have a firm revolutionary will and to overcome difficulties through collective effort. The story is not only widely circulated in China but has also become an important symbol of perseverance and determination in Chinese culture and is widely used in education and propaganda.