Step Back in Time, Step Into History: Retracing the Long March Route into the Heart of China's Revolutionary Heritage

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's Long March victory. The arduous journey of the Red Army soldiers in pursuit of faith and ideals has become a precious spiritual legacy, inspiring generations of Chinese people to bravely move forward and serving as a cultural story worth passing down through the ages.

Photo by Bastille Post

On the morning of May 27, the media delegation from Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area arrived in Yudu County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, to begin the first stop of the themed interview series retracing the Long March route.

Yudu County: Start of the Red Army's Epic Journey

The delegation visited the Central Red Army Long March Starting Place Memorial Park and watched a dramatic performance, Farewell. They then toured the Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army.

The Central Red Army Long March Starting Place Memorial Park, Photo by Bastille Post

The Central Red Army Long March Starting Place Memorial Park, Photo by Bastille Post

The dramatic performance, "Farewell," Photo by Bastille Post

The dramatic performance, "Farewell," Photo by Bastille Post

The dramatic performance, "Farewell," Photo by Bastille Post

The dramatic performance, "Farewell," Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Chen, a resident of Shicheng County, Ganzhou City, who was also visiting the memorial, said what impressed her most was a worn-out sheepskin coat, which had been the only warm clothing for Zeng Guanghua, a veteran Red Army soldier from Yudu County who fought for the revolution for 18 years, during the Long March. Ms. Chen noted, "The history weighs heavily on my heart. Understanding the stories of the older generation of revolutionaries allows me to spread the story of my hometown better, no matter where I am."

Ms. Chen, Photo by Bastille Post

In 1934, more than 86,000 people from Yudu County set out on the Long March. It's said that one in every five Red Army soldiers was from Yudu, and 16,356 recorded martyrs from the county sacrificed their lives for the revolution.

Ms. Zhong Min, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Zhong Min, a guide at the Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army, said in an interview with Bastille Post that Yudu County is dotted with Red Army historic sites, and that every family has a Red Army veteran in its lineage. She herself is a descendant of Red Army soldiers: her great-grandfather joined the Red Army in 1933 and died the following year during an anti-encirclement campaign.

The Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army, Photo by Bastille Post

The Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Zhong said, "Every year, 20 to 30 groups from Hong Kong and Macau visit Yudu. We hope to help them understand this epic history through vivid storytelling. I still remember students from Hong Kong and Macau shedding tears after hearing the story of 'Mother's Storm Lantern.' I believe our outreach has left a deep resonance in their hearts."

The Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army, Photo by Bastille Post

The Memorial Hall of the Long March of the Central Red Army, Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Searching for Red Army's Steps in Historic Sites

In the urban area of Yudu County, the delegation visited the former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March. During his stay there, Mao Zedong conducted local surveys and research, held in-depth talks with local officials and residents, and then embarked on the Long March.

The former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March, Photo by Bastille Post

The Long March Cultural Museum, Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

The former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March, Photo by Bastille Post

The former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March, Photo by Bastille Post

The former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March, Photo by Bastille Post

The former site of the Southern Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Government and the former residence of Mao Zedong on the eve of the Long March, Photo by Bastille Post

The bedroom of Mao Zedong, Photo by Bastille Post

The bedroom of Mao Zedong, Photo by Bastille Post

The bedroom of Mao Zedong, Photo by Bastille Post

Upon arriving at Yudu Ancient Street, the delegation found that the former headquarters of the Red Army and the site of the Three-Level Cadre Meeting in Southern Jiangxi Province have been integrated into the daily lives of local residents, blending revolutionary culture with local traditions. In addition to showcasing history, the former Red Army headquarters now provides visitors with a chance to learn about and experience traditional folk activities in Yudu. Meanwhile, the site of the Three-Level Cadre Meeting in Southern Jiangxi Province has been renovated and opened to the public free of charge, serving as a space for both historical and artistic exhibitions.

The site of the Three-Level Cadre Meeting in Southern Jiangxi Province has been renovated and opened to the public free of charge. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Mr. Xiao Qiulin, an inheritor of traditional Chinese music, performed live for the delegation. Photo by Bastille Post

The former Red Army headquarters now provides visitors with a chance to experience traditional folk activity of weaving straw sandals. Photo by Bastille Post

The former Red Army headquarters now provides visitors with a chance to experience traditional folk activity of weaving straw sandals. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

The themed interview series is hosted by the All-China Journalists' Association and the Media Alliance of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and co-organized by Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group and NetDragon Websoft Holdings Limited, with the theme "Continuing the Red Legacy of the Long March and Gathering the Strength of the Greater Bay Area."

The launching ceremony of the themed interview series, Photo by Bastille Post

At the launch ceremony, Ms. Lu Xiaoqing, member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Minister of the Publicity Department of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee, delivered a speech reviewing the great contributions made by the people of Jiangxi Province to the victory of the Long March. She said that Jiangxi Province and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have close exchanges and have formed a new pattern of coordinated development. She hoped that the media delegation would act as inheritors of the red revolutionary culture, connectors of the Greater Bay Area, and promoters of the revitalization of old revolutionary base areas, so as to carry forward the spirit of the Long March in the new era.

The launching ceremony, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Lu Xiaoqing, Photo by Bastille Post

The attendee of the launching ceremony, Mr. Tian Yuhong, member of the Party Leadership Group and secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Journalists' Association, Photo by Bastille Post

The attendee of the launching ceremony, Mr. Li Dahong, President of the Hong Kong Federation of Journalists and Chairman of Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, Photo by Bastille Post

The attendee of the launching ceremony, Mr. Wong Chun Kit, the journalist representative from Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group, Photo by Bastille Post

The media delegation from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, on a "Retracing the Long March" reporting trip through Guizhou and Yunnan, visited Zunyi, including the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall and the Zunyi 1935 Street. In this revolutionary heartland, they traced the historic turning point of the Long March and witnessed how the "City of Turning Point" weaves its revolutionary heritage into the fabric of everyday life.

The Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The Zunyi Conference was a meeting held in January 1935 when the Red Army passed through Zunyi, Guizhou, during the Long March. The meeting corrected "leftist" errors in military command and established the correct leadership with Mao Zedong.

The Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

Following the conference, under Mao Zedong's guidance, the Red Army employed flexible, mobile warfare, securing a series of major victories, including the second crossing of the Chishui River, the recapture of Loushan Pass, and the reoccupation of Zunyi. These successive triumphs gradually enabled the Red Army to break free from enemy encirclement and complete its strategic shift.

The Loushan Pass, Photo by Bastille Post

The Loushan Pass, Photo by Bastille Post

At the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, faded photographs, wartime relics, and time‑worn manuscripts tell the stories of the legendary march. Visitors who linger over these exhibits can gain a vivid glimpse of the rugged terrain the Red Army once crossed, and sense the unwavering faith that carried them through.

The historical objects exhibited in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

The historical objects exhibited in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

Lei Guangren, former director of the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, noted that the memorial is not a single building but a complex of sites. "In addition to the conference site itself, the former site of the National Bank and the residences of Li De, Bo Gu, Mao Zedong, and others, as well as the previous working sites of Deng Xiaoping and other key General Political Department staff have all been preserved and displayed in their original state," he said. He added that the memorial hall now receives over 10,000 visitors a day, around four to five million annually, making it a flagship destination for red tourism.

Mr. Lei Guangren, Photo by Bastille Post

Kong Xia, a volunteer guide at the memorial, is the granddaughter of Kong Xianquan — the site's first curator and a Red Army veteran. Her grandfather joined the Red Army in 1930 and fought in the anti-encirclement campaigns.

Ms. Kong Xia, Photo by Bastille Post

During the Second Battle of Loushan Pass, her grandfather was hit by six machine gun bullets in his right hip, leaving twelve bullet holes. Since his right leg was ten centimeters shorter than his left after recovery, people called him "Crippled Kong" or "Lame Kong."

After being wounded, Kong Xianquan recuperated in Guizhou and in 1952 began planning the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall. Kong Xia said that Deng Xiaoping, during his inspection of Zunyi, remarked, "Kong Xianquan is the most suitable person to be the curator."

The crowds in the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, Photo by Bastille Post

Although Kong Xia was not born in Zunyi, her life has been intimately intertwined with the city's revolutionary heritage. She recalls with a smile how her grandfather personally saw her father off to join the army, who later served in the Yunnan Air Force. She herself never expected to marry a soldier from the first peacekeeping unit of the General Staff Department, becoming a military wife. And her son, after graduating from Northeastern University, joined the PLA Rocket Force. Four generations of her family have carried forward the tradition of military service, spanning nearly a century.

Perhaps it is this revolutionary bloodline that gives her a special bond with Zunyi. She has lived near the memorial hall for fifty years, and for over thirty of those, she has served as a volunteer guide, telling visitors the stories of her grandfather and his Red Army comrades.

Kong Xia recalls that her grandfather rarely spoke of his own bravery, but would recount the Red Army's victories with great enthusiasm. Yet whenever he saw news of fallen comrades in the newspaper, he would sit on his bed for hours, pipe in hand, lost in thought, his eyes filled with grief. "What the elders feared was not the brutality of war," she said, "but the loss of their comrades, one by one."

The memorial hall now receives over 10,000 visitors a day, around four to five million annually, making it a flagship destination for red tourism. Photo by Bastille Post

Watching Zunyi transform from a small town with just two bus routes and a single bustling intersection into a modern city with hundreds of transport routes and numerous commercial zones, Kong Xia marvels at the changes: The city has grown; the buildings have risen. But Zunyi's spirit of "following the path of righteousness and striving constantly for self-improvement" together with its profound revolutionary spirit, remains unchanged.

Not far from the Zunyi Conference site lies the Zunyi 1935 Street, named after the year the conference took place. The street blends revolutionary culture with everyday life, featuring a revolutionary bookstore, intangible cultural heritage displays, and local northern Guizhou snacks. It connects the historic site with urban life, allowing visitors to step into the memory of those pivotal years, while strolling through the streets and savouring the local flavours.

The Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post

The goods sold at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post

The snacks sold at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post

The revolutionary bookstore at the Zunyi 1935 Street, Photo by Bastille Post