There was a group of men: they marched forward fearlessly under the fire of machine guns and cannons; they vowed to defend the country regardless of whatever harsh conditions they had to face; they sacrificed their own lives for the happiness of their fellow people and the peace and prosperity of their motherland. This group of men is the most admirable — soldiers of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA). From the movie Battle at Lake Changjin, I saw their firm belief: wearing thin clothes in the cold winter with temperature 20 centigrade below zero, with frozen potatoes as their only food, they fought against the United Force in the Korean Peninsular, which mainly consisted of US armies and was much stronger in all aspects. With their blood and flesh, they fought bravely and miraculously in the fierce battle.
During the National Day holiday, major theaters across China's mainland released the movie Battle at Lake Changjin, starred by Wu Jing and Jackson Yee, in praise of the spirit of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. The shocking pictures of the war show the viewers the cruelty of the war and remind us, youngsters growing up in peace, that our peaceful and prosperous life cannot be achieved without the devotion of a considerable number of the admirable people.
The history needed remembering and the peace deserving cherishing. The movie Battle at Lake Changjin offers us, the theater-goers, an access to feeling the hardships we Chinese people confronted during the Korean War. In the film, what impressed me most is their perseverance and stamina even in critical time of life and death. In one scene, the PVA soldiers planned to hide among the corpses in the rocky hills in an attempt to avoid being attacked by the US aircraft. It turned out to be futile because they were wounded by American pilots' spree firing at the bodies but they kept motionless with perseverance for fear of betraying their positions. Many soldiers got blown up, losing their arms or legs. The survivors had to advance, with no time to bury their dead fellow soldiers.
The America commander, General MacArthur, proclaimed to defeat PVA before Christmas. He was not boasting. Instead, he was serious because he had the most advanced weapons and logistics in the world. While they had turkey for Christmas with warm camps for shelter, PVA soldiers ambushed in the snow and ate frozen potatoes.
After watching the movie, it dawned on me that it is reasonable for us Chinese to say no to the celebration of the Western festivals for we can hardly forget what our previous generation had devoted. The golden age we Chinese enjoy has not come easily, and we must cherish it.
There is a scene at the end of the movie: the American soldiers thought they encountered their opponents again when they passed the path under the mountain; however when they came closer, they found a group of Chinese soldiers lying in ambush frozen to death on the mountain. These PVA had already turned into ice sculptures yet they held fast their rifles, aiming at the path as if ambushing for their opponent. As the American commander in the movie says, "We can never defeat such a determined enemy."
I was moved to tears from time to time when watching the movie. I shall never forget the devotion of those admirable people. I feel lucky that I grow up in this era of peace and can enjoy happiness that should not be taken for granted today. Walking out of the theater, watching the heavy traffic on the road, the display of the neon lights, and the smiling crowd on the street, I think this is the best gift for those most admirable people, for their devotion.