Heroic stories bridge generations, borders

Siu Nay H'Nhung, a 21-year-old Vietnamese student enrolled at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said human connection was embodied in a small wooden bird she learned the story of in Hubei province.

According to local accounts, a Red Army soldier carved the bird to thank a villager who had cared for him after he was wounded. They agreed to use it as a token to recognize each other after the revolution succeeded. The villager kept his promise, and three generations of his family passed down the bird, although the soldier died in the war.

"These stories are remembered not only for what happened, but also for the emotions and beliefs they carry," she said.

The accounts of ordinary people caught up in the Long March also struck a chord with Risat, reminding him of Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War. He had heard stories of villagers sheltering fighters, boatmen ferrying people across rivers under gunfire and families sharing what little rice they had with those caught up in the conflict.

"China's Long March belongs to its own history. But ordinary people's willingness to endure hardship for the sake of future generations is not unique to any one country," he said. "The spirit of the Long March can travel around the world."