When a 72-year-old proudly exclaimed, "Mom, that's my mom," we began wondering about the story behind her words. Following her journey in Yan'an, Northwest China — a living museum of Chinese people's resistance against Japanese aggression during World War II — reveals the depth of her pride.

She is the daughter of Liu Jie, one of over 40,000 young people who journeyed to Yan'an in the 1930s. Liu Jie arrived at just 14 years old and enrolled in Military and Political University of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (or abbreviated as Kangda in Chinese) before heading to the frontline. Today, Liu's two daughters visited Yan'an, eager to witness the place that transformed their mother from a young girl into a revolutionary.

Click to discover why, despite the hardships of that war-stricken era, the youth in Yan'an remained optimistic and fondly cherished their university days.