Students at Nankai University in Tianjin marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of Zhou Enlai, China's first premier, on Thursday with commemorative events highlighting his early revolutionary years.

Students laid flowers before a statue of Zhou on campus to pay tribute to one of the founding leaders of the People's Republic of China. Zhou died in January 1976.

Tianjin played a pivotal role in shaping Zhou's ideology and marked the beginning of his revolutionary journey. He studied at Nankai High School and later became one of the first students at Nankai University, where he was involved in student movements and helped establish progressive groups.

"The educational philosophy of Nankai and the open atmosphere of Tianjin had a profound influence on Zhou's revolutionary path," said Zhang Haoyan, a member of a Nankai University doctoral outreach group.

A stage performance at the university traced Zhou's formative years in Tianjin, using historical photographs and quotations. Guo Wei, a university publicity official, said the production aimed to recreate historical scenes to help audiences better understand Zhou's character and ideals.

For many students, the events were simultaneously educational and personal. "Premier Zhou dedicated his life to the people and made enormous contributions to China's revolution and development," said Wang Yuhan, a student who attended the performance. "His legacy encourages me to keep studying for social progress."

Public remembrance has extended beyond the university. In recent days, more than 3,000 people a day have visited the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall in Tianjin.

"Even after 50 years, people continue to hold him in high esteem," said Zhang Caixin, curator of the memorial hall. "He was not only a founding leader, but a premier deeply loved by the people."

After 1949, Zhou visited Tianjin 18 times to inspect factories and universities, including repeated visits to Nankai University and Tianjin University. In a 1957 speech, he described Tianjin as his "second hometown".

In recent years, Tianjin has developed themed tourist routes linking sites associated with Zhou by combining public education with what officials describe as "revolutionary heritage tourism", aimed particularly at younger generations.

Wang Nanyi contributed to this story.