The songwriter of "Anthem of the Chinese Young Pioneers" is Ji Ming. Ji Ming's original name is Wu Yazhen, and his former name was Wu Ziping. Originally from Huai'an (today's Huai'an District). Ji Ming was born in Suzhou City on June 29, 1917. Her father is a fan of Peking Opera and often plays the erhu to sing a few verses after work. At this time, Xiao Jiming would listen nearby, and sometimes hum a few words along with it.

Sometimes she secretly learned to play the erhu when no one was paying attention. Soon she was able to sing Peking Opera arias by herself. Her father was very happy when he discovered her talent, so he bought flutes, pipa and other musical instruments for her to learn. She was smart and studious, and could learn it as soon as she could. Later, even musical instruments such as dulcimer and yueqin became her close companions in childhood.

When she was studying at Suzhou Girls' Middle School, there was a music teacher named Gu Xilin who thought highly of her, encouraged her to apply for the Shanghai National Music College, and helped her prepare the repertoire for the exam. After graduating from junior high school in the summer of 1933, at the age of 16, she was admitted to the Shanghai National Music College with excellent results in the pipa major, and later learned piano from a Russian professor. The Anti-Japanese War broke out.

The atrocities committed by the Japanese imperialists in invading China blew up her pipa and smashed her piano. This 20-year-old young man who had just stepped out of school said goodbye to his warm family and followed his classmates to Guiyang, Chongqing, Daxian and other places, where he served as a music teacher in primary and secondary schools and the Chongqing Teacher Service Corps.