In a special series on the Long March, a landmark event in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Huajiang Gorge Bridge in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the world's highest bridge, has demonstrated how the Long March spirit lives on.
This year marks the 90th anniversary of the Long March, a crucial turning point in Chinese history which contributed to the founding of the People's Republic of China.
In the special series Marching On, China Global Television (CGTN) correspondents retrace the original route of the Long March across several provinces to find out that the Long March's enduring spirit—marked by determination and resilience—continues to inspire generations of Chinese people as they pursue better lives through innovation and hard work.
In the first episode of the series, a CGTN correspondent kicks off the journey across rugged hills and river‑carved valleys in Guizhou Province, a key region along the Long March route. He stands in awe atop the Huajiang Gorge Bridge, completed in 2025 by local engineers and workers. With a deck soaring 625 meters above the river, the bridge is a testament to the enduring spirit of overcoming adversity.
The remarkable transformation of mountainous Guizhou—with a nearly twelvefold increase in per capita GDP over the past two decades—reflects the enduring legacy of the Long March spirit, which remains evident in all aspects of contemporary Chinese life.
The Red Army soldiers, forerunners of today's People's Liberation Army, began their strategic retreat in 1934. They endured raging rivers, snow-capped mountains, and vast grasslands—some marching as far as 12,500 kilometers—before finally reaching Yan'an in Shaanxi Province in 1936, where they established the CPC headquarters before the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949.
From barriers to bridges: unpacking Long March legacy in Guizhou
New Zealand's ruling National-led coalition has secured a parliamentary majority in the general election, preliminary results showed early Sunday, putting Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on course to retain power for a second term.
The Election Commission's tally of all voting places has resulted in 11 "overhang" seats, increasing to 131 the total number of seats in parliament, which normally has 120.
Among the seats, the National Party, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First collectively secured 67, giving the three-party coalition a narrow majority to continue governing, while the opposition bloc of the Labor Party, the Green Party and the Maori Party garnered 57 in total.
The contest between the National and the Labor, led by former prime minister Chris Hipkins, remained exceptionally close, with each securing over 29 percent, according to preliminary figures.
Addressing supporters in Auckland, Luxon said the election was "too close to call," with the final outcome hinging on special votes to be counted. He acknowledged that negotiations and compromise would be needed to form the next government.
The outcome could still change when 700,000 special votes are counted days later. These include ballots cast by overseas voters and people voting outside their electorates, and are not included in the preliminary results, according to the Electoral Commission, which is scheduled to release the final official results, including special votes, on Nov. 27.
The Green Party has won a record 16 seats in parliament. The centrist Opportunity Party has also made a parliamentary breakthrough, projected to win seven seats, preliminary results showed.
The country has nearly 3.8 million provisionally enrolled voters for the 2026 general election, representing 93.6 percent of the estimated eligible population, below the final enrolment rates of 94.7 percent in 2023 and 94.1 percent in 2020, the commission said.
New Zealand uses the mixed-member proportional voting system to elect its parliament. Under this system, voters cast two ballots, one for a political party and another for their local electorate candidate. The government is usually formed by two or more parliamentary political parties.
New Zealand's National-led coalition wins majority parliamentary seats: preliminary results
