The 2026 “Rites and Wisdom for a Bright Future” coming-of-age ceremony for new pupils—the fourth edition hosted by Shushan Subdistrict—was held as scheduled recently in Zhizhang Village, the ancestral home of the Tang poet He Zhizhang. Thirty children about to start primary school took part in a coming-of-age rite rich with meaning, woven into an immersive study programme.

At the hall of village history, the children lined up and split into study teams. Instructors told simple, easy-to-follow stories that brought to life Zhizhang Village’s long tradition of valuing education and kindness. Then came the solemn “first brush” ritual. Holding a cinnabar brush, the instructor marked each child's forehead with a red dot—a blessing for intelligence, quick wits, and a bright future. In the “tracing the first character” session, the children carefully traced the Chinese character for “person” (人). With brushes raised, the ceremony concluded as all the pupils performed a formal bow of respect to their teachers. In those small, earnest gestures, the traditional virtue of honoring teachers and valuing education quietly took root.

After four consecutive years, the ceremony has grown from a simple rite into one of Shushan Subdistrict’s key vehicles for carrying forward He Zhizhang’s cultural legacy. This year, the subdistrict has teamed up with the Xianghu Research Institute to launch a series of events dedicated to that heritage—and this was the first. Coming up are more activities, including study programmes themed around He Zhizhang’s culture, hands-on exploration for youngsters, and a parent-child cultural market by Xianghu Lake—giving more young people the chance to learn through doing, and to feel for themselves the power of diligence and perseverance.