On the afternoon of October 12, Associate Dean Jin Jun led a farm labor education team composed of students from Zhishan College and Xiuzhong College to the Tsinghua University College Farm for a themed activity titled “Cultivating the Land, Seeking Wisdom.”
Set amid the rich autumn fields, Professor Jin actively participated in the farming experience and guided students to deeply reflect on the value of labor and the meaning of life. After the activity, during the “Tea Time with the Dean,” Professor Jin sat down with the students for a heartfelt discussion, using their labor experience as a basis to further explore academic development and life planning, inspiring and encouraging everyone.
Farm and Practice: Perfect Timing in the Golden Autumn
The College Farm, located in Zhoujiaxiang Village, Haidian District, is a practical base that integrates ecological planting and agricultural education. This practice activity coincided with the peanut maturation season, while hawthorns and apples were also entering their harvesting periods.
The farm instructor told the students, "You have arrived just in time. You can not only observe the growth stage before the peanuts fully mature, but also personally experience the joy of harvesting."
Professor Jin Jun also took this opportunity to guide the students to focus on agricultural ecology and the origins of food, inspiring everyone to draw wisdom from the land in their lives.
Field Work: Cooperation Amid the Fragrance of Soil
After the rain, the soil was moist and loose, with vibrant green peanut seedlings neatly arranged. Some plants had been dug up and covered with nets, leaving only stems and leaves visible above ground, hinting at the rich harvest beneath the soil. Led by Professor Jin Jun, the students split into three groups to collaborate: some carefully dug up peanut plants with farming tools, while others picked the fragrant peanuts into buckets.
Despite the cool late-autumn air, their enthusiasm filled the entire field with warmth. Professor Jin frequently interacted with the students, encouraging them to experience teamwork through cooperation and to understand the true meaning of “being down-to-earth” through their labor and sweat.
The students also harvested bright red hawthorns and plump apples, further enriching their hands-on experience.
Afternoon Tea Time: Sharing Labor’s Fruits and Conversation Between Teachers and Students
After the work ended, the farm staff prepared steaming bowls of salted peanuts made from freshly harvested peanuts. Professor Jin and the students sat in a circle, jointly savoring the fruits of their labor along with tea and snacks provided by the logistics team.
In the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere, the students actively asked questions about academic planning, time management, and future directions. Drawing from his own experience, Professor Jin patiently answered their doubts and encouraged them: “Take it slow, and you will actually move faster,” urging everyone to maintain patience and rhythm on the path toward their goals.
He further emphasized that labor not only strengthens the body but also cultivates character, hoping that students transform today’s experience into an inner motivation for their future study and life. Laughter filled the scene as the bonds between teachers and students quietly deepened under the warm autumn sun.
Harvest and Return Fully Loaded: A Gourd Keepsake, Memories Forever
As the activity drew to a close, the farm instructors invited each student to pick a small gourd from the vine arbor as a keepsake. These charming little gourds not only serve as unique mementos of this practice but also symbolize the beautiful meaning of labor and harvest. One student reflected, “Holding the peanuts I dug up myself and the gourd I picked by hand, I truly understood the deep meaning of ‘you reap what you sow.’”
Professor Jin took this opportunity to encourage the students to carry the spirit of labor and reflection into their daily studies and lives, continuing to explore and grow.
This visit to the college farm not only brought students closer to nature and farming experience but, under Professor Jin’s guidance, allowed them to appreciate the beauty of labor through cooperation and to gain enlightenment through communication. Looking ahead, Zhishan College will continue to expand its experiential learning curriculum and the “teacher-student journey” model, promoting students to explore a broader world by integrating knowledge and practice for comprehensive growth.
