On the afternoon of October 1, at the Academic Exchange Center on the West Campus, a class reunion marking the 30thanniversary of graduation for the Agricultural Education Class of 9205 took an unforgettable turn. As the host called out, “920501!”, Yuan Weiqin responded with a resounding “Here!” She jogged toward the stage with a broad smile, repeating, “I'll never forget my student ID number for the rest of my life.” She hurried up to receive two books from her former teacher, Mr. Xie. Thirty years had passed, yet she had never forgotten that six-digit number.
From October 1 to 3, Yangtze University held its celebration marking the 90thanniversary of its educational endeavors alongside the 18thAlumni Festival. Nearly 100 graduating classes, 13 footballteams,and close to 3,000 alumni returned to their alma mater from across the country. Handshakes and embraces between old friends long separated filled the campus.
Liu Yongsheng, Secretary ofYangtzeUniversity Party Committee, and Lü Yibing, President of the university, along with other leaders, attended performances, campus tours, footballmatches,and class reunions. They also joined alumni for meals in the campus dining halls, sharing in these memorable moments.
90thAnniversary Gala: A Celebration Full of Passion
At 4 p.m. on October 2, theMainAuditorium on the East Campus came alive with flowing red silk as the university's 90thanniversary galawas held. The auditorium was packed, and applause rang out again and again.
Liu Yongsheng remarked, “Every step forward our alma mater has taken bears the imprint of the youth and dedication of generations ofYUers; every honor it has earned shines with the hard work and sense of responsibility of alumni across the world.” He emphasized that alumni are the university's most treasured asset and its most distinguished ambassadors. The university, he said, would continue to make alumni engagement a priority, strengthen its network of alumni connections, improve services for alumni, and foster a shared path of development in which the university and its alumni support and benefit one another.
Ren Dalong, a member of the Class of 1989 in Drilling Engineering, walked onto the stage holding a donation pledge board displaying¥3,000,000. Zhang Yongqiang, a member of the Class of 1987 in Mining Machinery, then took the stage on behalf of Wu Hehong, a member of the Class of 1984 in Drilling Engineering, and raised a second board pledging¥2,000,000. Representatives oforganizations,including the Hubei Jinpai Public Welfare Foundation and Wuhan Shidai Dizhi Technology Co.,Ltd.,also came forward to make donations. Liu Yongsheng and Lü Yibing formally presented donation certificates to the contributors, prompting another round of applause.
The song“Teacher, I Always Think of You”gently transported the audience back to the classroom days of years gone by. A traditional Chinese two-stringed fiddle ensemble performed“Galloping Warhorses”, its vigorous bowing evoking the thunder of hooves drawing ever closer. The theatrical performance“I Am aYUer”featured alumni from a wide range of professions. Each performance was met with enthusiastic applause.
Football Tournament: Passion That Stands the Test of Time
The second “Yangtze University Cup” Alumni Football Tournament attracted 13 teams and 193 players. The oldest participant was 64, while the youngest was just 18. They shared the same pitch, united by their love of football and their alma mater. Among them, the alumni football team of the AgriculturalSchool of theClass of 1985 had an average age of 58.4.
Liu Yongsheng attended the opening ceremony and delivered remarks: “Today, we come together through football and friendship. Football is the bond that connects us as alumni, while the pitch is the stage on which we showcase the spirit and vitality of the YUers.” As he finished speaking, the referee's whistle sounded, and the match began.
A heartwarming moment unfolded during a break in the matches. Staff members carried a cake to the center of the pitch, where it was presented to three people: Xue Mingjun, a graduate of the Class of 1985 in Soil Chemistry; Huang Youyang, a graduate of the Class of 1996 in Computer Science; and Ren Qiuyu, afreshmanin the Class of 2026 majoring in Sports Training. One had white hair, one was middle-aged, and one had only just begunhisuniversity life. Standing side by side, the three joined the crowd as everyone clapped and sang birthday song.Their voices echoed across the pitch.The cake connected three generations: the Class of 1985, the Class of 1996 and the Class of 2026. In that moment, the bond amongYUerswas passed from one generation to the next.
At the closing ceremony, Yao Tingjun, a former football coach arrived in a wheelchair despite the rain to see his formerstudents. When they saw their beloved coach, many alumni were moved to tears. Rain mingled with tears, capturing one of the most touching moments of the reunion beyond the football pitch—a reunion between teacher and students that had spanned decades.
Campus Tour: A Warm Return to FamiliarGrounds
At 3 p.m. on October 2, the alumni campus tour set off from the north gate of the East Campus.Lü Yibing, President of the university; Li Yingjun, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC University Committee and Director of the Organization Department and the United Front Work Department; and Jiang Wanzhe, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC University Committee and Director of the Publicity Department, joined alumni as they walked along Changjiang Avenue toward the main auditorium.Along the way, old friends kept running into one another. They shook hands and embraced, their faces lighting up with the same openhearted joy they had shared years earlier.
Chen Shengbo, a graduate of the Chinese Language Class of 1992, recalled one of his former teachers as he walked: “A teacher from Hunan taught Qu Yuan'sLi Saousing the distinctive rhythms and intonations of Chu. I was sitting in the front row and told him, ‘You sing so beautifully, could you sing it one more time?’”
Long Tengjiao and Yang Jie, both graduates of the Information and Computing Science Class of 2002, stood outside Teaching Building No. 8. Theybothentered the university in 2002 and graduated in 2006. They had returned for their 10thgraduation anniversary, and now, 20 years after graduation, they were back again. “How many 20-yearperiodsdoes a person get inalifetime?” they reflected.
Fang Xianghui and Tang Jun, graduates of the Computer Science and Technology Class of 2002, made a special visit to their former dormitory. “Apart from looking a little older, everything is still here—and now there's air conditioning, too.” they said.
Others made a point of visiting the inscription bearing the former name “Jianghan Petroleum Institute” at the East Gate No. 1, stopping by the English Corner, or walking once more along the corridor in the library. These familiar places remained just where they had always been, waiting to welcome them back.
Memories Around the Dining Table: A Taste of the Past
At lunchtime, the aroma of freshly prepared dishes filled the campus dining halls. Liu Yongsheng and Lü Yibing came and dined at the same tables with returning alumni.
At the Juyuan Dining Hall, Dong Wei, a graduate of the Computer Science and TechnologyClass of 2002, said that the dish he missed most wasshuizhuroupian(Sichuan-style boiled pork slices). It cost just¥6. “We would usually get together, with everyone chipping in one or two yuan to order it. It tasted wonderful. Back then, it was quite a treat,” he recalled.
At the BaoshihuaDining Hall, Cao Jimin, a graduate of the Measurement, Control Technology and Instrumentation Class of 2002, remembered that for just¥1.5, he could get two dishes andsteamedrice, although he usually opted for steamed buns. Huang He, a graduate of the Computer Science and Technology Class of 1996, remarked that today's portions were more generous and the food tasted better.
Throughout the meal, the conversation kept returning to the past: the prices of dishes, the flavors they remembered, and the people who once sat around the same table.
Class Reunions: Bonds That Last a Lifetime
Throughout the Alumni Festival, reunions organized by different schools and graduating classes took place one after another. At the 30th-anniversary reunion of the Agricultural EducationClass of 9205, the host called out student ID numbers rather than names. Each time a number was announced, the person it belonged to raised a hand, and one after another, hands went up across the room. Thirty years later, not one of those numbers had been forgotten.
When Xie Zhendong, the former head teacherof the class,heard about the reunion, he immediately booked a ticket from Guangzhou and returned to attend. He prepared two books for every classmate, filling them with reflections and personal thoughts gathered over more than a decade. In his message to the group, he shared “three stories, three expressions ofgratitude,and three hopes,” encouraging everyone to remain passionate throughout their lives, because that was the way to find happiness.
“Thirty years ago, I cherished you. Over the past 30 years, I have missed you. And 30 years from now, I will still love you,” said Jia Juqin.
Li Yingjun was invited to attend the reunion. He listened attentively as classmates shared stories of how, over the past 30 years, they had devoted themselves to rural revitalization, agriculturaldevelopment,andelementaryeducation in communities across the country.
At the Qihang Lecture Hall on the East Campus, the Forum on Innovation and Development Marking the 33rdAnniversary of Computer Science Education was held.The Wuhan Liaison Office of the School of Computer Science, Yangtze University Alumni Association was also established at the event. Li Yingjun reviewed the university's 9-decadehistory and commended thedisciplinefor keeping pace with the digital age and making significant progress over its 33 years. He expressed the hope that alumni would deepen collaboration in talent development, research partnerships and resource sharing.
Reunions were also held by the Classes of 2002 in Mechanical Engineering, Exploration Engineering, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, Physics, Information and Computing Science, and Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Alumni reminisced about their student days and exchanged views on developments in their respective industries, creating an atmosphere of warmth and coziness.
At the reunion of the Exploration Engineering Class of 2002, alumnus Li Tingyuan reached into his bag and took out a carefully folded university T-shirt. It was covered with the signatures of everyone who had attended their previous reunion.
Campus Carnival: Fun and Festivity
The outdoor basketball courts offered another lively scene. Every booth was surrounded by crowds, with queues stretching from one end to the other.
The table displaying dominoes drew the largest crowd. Alumni brought their children to line up the dominoes, one piece at a time. When they reached the end, the child gave the first piece a gentle push. The dominoes tumbled down in a cascading chain, prompting cheers from the onlookers.
During the Alumni Festival, the4thBoard of Directors of the Yangtze University Education Development Foundation held its second meeting. Liu Yongsheng was elected Chair of the Foundation, and the meeting approved several agenda items.Meanwhile, the general assembly for the leadership transition of the Yangtze University Alumni Association, its 2026 meeting of liaison offices, and the annual gathering of alumni entrepreneurs were also held. Lü Yibing was elected President of the Alumni Association, and 33 alumni organizations received commendations.Leadership elections, commendations and the approval of key initiatives marked a series of milestones, opening a new chapter in the university's alumni engagement efforts.
Over the three days, embraces, tears and laughter filled every corner of the campus. Many alumni remarked that the festival was more than a reunion: it was a homecoming of the spirit, a testament to the enduring unity and intergenerational legacy of the YUers, and a renewal of the deep, warm bond between every graduate and their alma mater.
