Sino-Vietnamese youth explore the legacy of the Long March in Lijiang

A group of Chinese students and Vietnamese students with Chinese heritage recently retraced parts of the Red Army's Long March route in Lijiang, Yunnan province, deepening their understanding of its enduring spirit and legacy.

Lau Cat Tuong, a Vietnamese student at Yunnan Normal University, visited the Memorial Hall of the Red Army's Long March Command Headquarters in Lijiang on Friday. There, she learned about the story of the troops' commander He Long and the local gentry He Gengji in April 1936.

He Gengji, a prominent figure from the Naxi ethnic group, persuaded local armed forces to lay down their arms and rallied the community to welcome the Red Army troops. Upon their arrival in Lijiang, He Long established a temporary command center at He Gengji's residence.

Bi Ruishan, a student of the Kunming College of Arts and Sciences, was impressed by the story of Sang Letian, a young man who helped the Red Army cross the Jinsha River.

When the Red Army arrived in Lijiang, they liberated Sang, who had been unjustly imprisoned. Grateful for their help, Sang volunteered to guide them on a journey spanning over 200 kilometers. Along the way, he sustained a calf injury, and the Red Army offered him supplies to assist with his recovery and resettlement.

Zhu Di, a student of Kunming City College, said that these stories helped her discover the strong bond of friendship that developed between the Naxi people and the Red Army troops.