Red Flag Canal: A shared legacy of resilience and cooperation

Cui Suhao, the village's Party secretary, said that the canal is a miracle of human achievement. "Despite severe shortages of materials, labor, and funds, the canal was completed against all odds," Cui said. "During construction, villagers offered their homes and farmland to accommodate the workers, despite subsisting on meager diets themselves."

For Cui, the spirit of the Red Flag Canal is a shared legacy of resilience and cooperation between the two provinces. Without the contributions from both sides, this monumental project would not have been possible.

Wang Qinghai, a third-generation canal guardian from Cuijiazhuang, recalls the dire conditions before the canal's construction. Water was so scarce that many residents of Linxian bathed only three times throughout their lives: at birth, before marriage, and after death. Villagers often trekked several kilometers to fetch water. "Without the canal, the thriving Linzhou of today would not exist," Wang said.

The Red Flag Canal's legacy grows richer with time. Tian Lingli, director of the Red Flag Canal Memorial Hall, experienced the hardships of water scarcity firsthand. She believes the canal's cultural allure lies in its stark visual contrast and the emotional resonance of its intergenerational spirit. Visitors can witness this engineering marvel and connect deeply with the spirit of struggle from that era.

Shen Meifang, a local guide for over a decade, introduces the "Youth Tunnel", the canal's most challenging section, to visitors at the museum. "Carved by 300 young workers over 17 months, it stands as a monument to their perseverance and is named in their honor," she said.

Every summer, the canal becomes a popular educational site, drawing visitors from around the world. The Red Flag Canal Cadre Academy offers systematic courses, fostering exchanges between Henan and Shanxi to perpetuate the canal spirit.

Yang Zhaoying, a visitor from Beijing, marveled at the canal's construction, achieved entirely by hand amid constant danger. She wonders at the sheer determination that drove the builders to complete such a monumental task.

Today, efforts are underway to have the Red Flag Canal recognized as a World Cultural Heritage Site, a collaborative effort between the cultural heritage bureaus of Henan and Shanxi. This initiative aims to establish the canal as a world-class cultural and tourism landmark.

For Zhang Maijiang, the canal is a living textbook, an inexhaustible source of spiritual wealth, and a cherished family legacy.

Qi Xin contributed to this story.

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn