XI'AN — Toward evening, heated discussions and laughter emanated from a brightly-lit senior high school campus in Yan'an, a former revolutionary base in Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

Even though they are only in the first grade at Yan'an High School, several students passionately shared their understanding of topics such as cultural confidence.

"Cultural confidence is about inclusiveness, openness, pride and self-confidence," said 16-year-old Chang Ruixue, adding that the rich history of her school has always propelled the students to broaden their perspectives and thrive on challenges and difficulties.

Yan'an High School was the first of its kind set up by the Communist Party of China in the region in 1938. It has a glorious history and fine revolutionary traditions, and has fostered many talented people for the old revolutionary base areas.

Starting from a campus made up of several cave dwellings, the school now has two campuses consisting of modern facilities and a total of 5,500 students.

Over the past decade, the city of Yan'an has invested 11.5 billion yuan ($1.59 billion) in building and expanding 501 kindergartens and primary and middle schools, according to the local education bureau.

Modern educational philosophy has also been introduced across schools in Yan'an to help broaden the horizons of the youth, and many extracurricular activities have been organized.

Zhang Yazun, a 13-year-old middle school student, said she felt fulfilled volunteering as a part-time guide at several revolutionary sites during weekends.

Her mother, Hou Junyu, said, "The opportunity has greatly boosted my daughter's confidence, and she has shown more interest in broadcasting and hosting."

Nearly 50,000 student volunteers like Zhang have served at museums, memorial halls and revolutionary sites in Yan'an as tour guides during their spare time.

Yan'an has built cooperation partnerships with 88 schools in more than 10 provinces and municipalities nationwide, including Beijing and Shanghai, which has helped improve the education quality of the old revolutionary base.

"Being a diplomat is a big dream for me, as I'm eager to shine in the global arena when I grow up," Chang, from Yan'an High School, said.