中文
By Rabi Sankar Bosu
Ninety years after the Red Army's historic victory, the Long March spirit continues to inspire China's resilience, development and pursuit of national rejuvenation.
"The Red Army fears not the trials of the March, holding light ten thousand crags and torrents." This immortal line, penned by Chairman Mao Zedong in September 1935, remains an eternal source of inspiration for the Chinese people as the nation marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.
As we stand at this historic milestone, nine decades after that world-renowned victory, the international community is seeking a deeper understanding of the governance philosophy of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the enduring spirit of the Long March. Questions naturally arise: Why does China still commemorate the Long March? How did the Long March achieve victory against all odds? What relevance does its spirit hold for China and the world today? And why does it remain a powerful spiritual symbol of contemporary China?
A year of historic milestones
The year 2026 is destined to be remembered as a year of great historical milestones for modern China. It marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the legendary Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Oct. 22, 1936), the 81st anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War (Sept. 3, 1945), the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC (July 1, 1921), and the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (Oct. 1, 1949).
When I was a secondary school student, I read about the hardships and sacrifices of the Long March in my textbooks, and I could not hold back my tears when I read the story of the Golden Fishhook, in which an old soldier sacrificed himself to save his comrades. On that day, I realized that the Long March was not merely a military expedition, but also a triumph of human willpower.
Mao Zedong emerged as a central leader of the Red Army, the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, on this extraordinary journey of more than 25,000 li, or about 12,500 kilometers. The glory, hardships and sacrifices of the Long March live on in the collective memory of the Chinese people.
As American journalist Edgar Snow wrote in his book Red Star Over China, the epic journey was "an odyssey unequaled in modern times."
Looking back on this two-year journey (1934-36) today, we can hardly fathom the hardships endured by the Red Army, consisting of poor peasants and workers under Mao's leadership. Their struggle ultimately paved the way for China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and opened a bright future for the Chinese revolution.
At that time, China was plagued by civil strife, crippled by poverty and threatened by foreign powers. Inspired by the ideals of equality, the elimination of a rigid class system and opposition to a corrupt government, tens of thousands of peasants and workers rallied behind Communist leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhu De and Zhou Enlai, united by a shared dream of creating a new, sovereign nation.
After traversing 25,000 li of treacherous terrain, the Red Army finally emerged victorious. What kept this fragmented force marching forward with courage despite such terrible conditions 90 years ago? The answer lay in a deep conviction: placing the interests of the nation and the people above everything else and holding a firm belief in the triumph of justice. This is the essence of the Long March spirit and the key to understanding the spiritual lineage of the Chinese Communists.
From Ruijin to Yan'an: The price of glory
The Red Army embarked on the Long March from Ruijin, Jiangxi province, on Oct. 10, 1934, and concluded it two years later, retreating from the encircling Kuomintang (KMT) troops in the south and heading north to Yan'an.
Soon after the Central Red Army's departure, other Red Army forces set out on their own Long Marches from different revolutionary bases, culminating in a historic reunion in northwest China in October 1936.
Nearly 200,000 soldiers from various Red Army units set out, but only about 50,000 remained by the end.
Throughout the expedition, Red Army soldiers faced immense challenges, fighting more than 600 battles against pursuing KMT troops while exposed to harsh elements day and night. On foot, they crossed about 100 rivers, climbed more than 20 snow-capped mountains rising above 4,000 meters and traversed the several-hundred-kilometer-long Songpan Grasslands in Sichuan province, known as the "Death Trap." Beyond its military significance, the Long March also helped the CPC win immense respect and trust among the peasants.
As Mao himself said, "Without the Long March, how could the broad masses have learned so quickly about the existence of the great truth which the Red Army embodies? The Long March is also a seeding machine. In the eleven provinces, it has sown many seeds which will sprout, leaf, blossom, and bear fruit, and will yield a harvest in the future."
The Long March's spirit of persistence, cooperation and fearlessness has been passed down from generation to generation. As American writer and historian Harrison E. Salisbury aptly noted in his book The Long March: The Untold Story, "China's Long March of 1934 was no symbol. It was a great human epic that tested the will, courage, and strength of the men and women of the Chinese Red Army."
The 90-year legacy
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Long March has been celebrated as a symbol of the CPC's strength and resilience. President Xi Jinping, who has called on the nation to forge ahead on China's new Long March, continues to champion its values. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Xi has visited sites along the historic route many times, from Yudu to the Xiangjiang River and from Zunyi to Jiangtaibao.
With deep emotion, he has recounted stories of the Long March, explained the significance of the great Long March spirit and called on the whole Party and society to draw wisdom and strength from this glorious history. Commemorating the 80th anniversary in Beijing on Oct. 21, 2016, Xi said: "The Long March is the glory of the people's army, and the honorable people's army must always carry forward the great spirit and fine tradition of the Red Army in the Long March." During a gathering commemorating the 90th anniversary held in Beijing on Oct. 22, 2026, Xi said: "This earth-shattering revolutionary feat holds great significance in the history of our Party, country and military, and has a profound impact on our path toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
By visiting key sites along the route and championing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, Xi has linked the sacrifices of the past to China's present and called on all to forge ahead on the new Long March of the new era. As he said in 2021, "The long march of our generation is to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation."
The 90-year legacy of the Long March reminds us that this historic event is a living reality with profound impact, far more than a legend or a story. The seeds sown by the Red Army have blossomed and borne fruit in modern China, inspiring a strong work ethic in the Chinese people.
The victory of the Long March was a major turning point for the CPC and the Chinese revolution. More importantly, it stands as a great milestone in the historical process of rejuvenating the Chinese nation.
A drone photo taken on April 16, 2026 shows students taking part in a memorial event at a monument commemorating the departure of the Central Red Army during the Long March, in Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province. [Photo by Wan Xiang/Xinhua]
A new Long March in trade and technology
Under the leadership of the CPC, China has overcome every barrier the West has sought to erect, notably defying Washington's tariffs with remarkable resilience. Despite U.S. tariffs that peaked at 145% in April 2025 and remain over 30% today, China's exports have not only persisted but accelerated, growing 21.8% year on year in early 2026.
This goes beyond economic endurance; it is the Long March spirit made manifest in supply chains, transshipment networks and technological self-reliance.
The unyielding Red Army spirit
From the detonation of its first atomic bomb in 1964 to the eradication of absolute poverty in 2020, from Chang'e-6 bringing back the world's first samples from the far side of the moon to the steady operation of the Tiangong space station, and from building the world's largest high-speed rail network to leading global green development and advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, China has proven that no external barrier can halt its progress. Today's new Long March toward Chinese modernization continues to be guided by the same spirit.
When Super Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since 1949, struck the city in 2024, authorities evacuated more than 414,000 residents with remarkable precision and resolve, echoing the unyielding determination of the Red Army. Whether facing natural disasters or trade pressures, China withstands challenges and turns them into momentum for progress.
The spirit of the Long March lives on as China forges ahead. This unprecedented revolutionary expedition was an epic written by the Red Army under the leadership of the CPC, and it stands as an immortal monument in the history of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Ninety years later, China has entered a new era, yet the Long March spirit remains intact as a source of inspiration and strength for the Chinese people as they move forward.
Rabi Sankar Bosu is founder and president of the New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, an independent Sino-Indian friendship club based in West Bengal, India. He is a senior analyst and commentator on global affairs, particularly China's development, China-India relations and the Belt and Road Initiative.
