Long March spirit shows perseverance brings prosperity
10-year-old docent tells story of historic Red Army alliance
Editor's note: This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March — a monumental feat in human history. China Daily is publishing a series of reports reflecting on this historic journey and exploring how the spirit of the Long March continues to inspire the Chinese people on their new path toward national rejuvenation.
At the edge of a tranquil mountain lake in Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Sichuan province, a small figure in a neat jacket adjusts her microphone. Tong Yuxin is just 10 years old, but she has already taken on the responsibility of keeping history alive.
As visitors gather by Yihai Lake in Mianning county, she begins recounting an oath that brought together a Red Army commander and a Yi chieftain, helping pave the way for the Red Army's advance during the Long March.
"I think I got the chance to be a museum docent because I speak Mandarin well, so they let me have a try," said Yuxin, a primary school student from the county.
She is now a volunteer docent at the Yihai Alliance Memorial Museum, where she tells visitors the story of the blood oath sworn in 1935 between Red Army commander Liu Bocheng and Xiao Yedan, then head of the Guoji clan of the Yi ethnic group. The two drank chicken blood to pledge brotherhood, enabling the Red Army to pass safely through the Yi-inhabited area and making subsequent crucial operations possible, including the Dadu River crossing and the storming of Luding Bridge.
Yuxin spent a week memorizing two pages of script before beginning her work. "I used an artificial intelligence tool to condense two pages down to a few lines. I memorized those lines first. I read them until I got the gist, and then recited line by line," she said.
Her first tours also taught her how to manage her nerves. When guiding visitors along the lakeside near the museum, she sometimes turned to the surrounding scenery for a moment of relief.
"Sometimes I just pointed at the scenery to make them look at it, while I tried to calm myself down so that I could perform the way I practiced at home. I got more nervous when there were fewer people, because they listened much more carefully," she said.
Despite her initial nervousness, Yuxin has come to enjoy the experience. "Every time I guide tourists, I feel really happy. They never ignore me and do their own thing just because I'm a kid," she said.
Behind her growing confidence is a family that has long treated storytelling as a way to pass on history and values. Her grandfather, a former soldier, would recount wartime episodes whenever she sat down to eat or watch television.
"He wanted me to know that moving stories happened in their generation, and to understand that I must unite with my classmates and help anyone who is in trouble," she said.
That lesson in solidarity resonates with the story she tells at the museum. Reflecting on the Yihai Alliance, Yuxin explained the significance of the oath in bringing the two sides together.
"A blood oath is a very solemn ritual among the Yi people. At that time, there was huge distrust between Yi and Han peoples. Liu Bocheng and Xiao Yedan used this ritual to put aside their guard. Between them, there was not only brotherhood, but also a sincere promise to care for each other," she said.
The experience has also helped Yuxin grow beyond the museum. Before becoming a docent, she often struggled to put together an answer in class, even when she knew the facts. Explaining historical stories to visitors has since helped her express herself more clearly.
"After I started explaining stories at the museum, I improved a lot," she said.
Her family has supported her efforts in practical ways, buying her a portable speaker, showing her videos of professional docents and getting her sportswear for days when she might lead tours uphill.
Yuxin has two clear ambitions for the future. "I want to be a teacher. I also want to be a docent, telling all the stories that happened here in Mianning," she said.
Her connection to the Yihai Alliance story deepened after an encounter with an elderly visitor.
"Once, after I finished telling the story, a granny touched my head and said, 'You must tell this story to more people'."
The woman's words reinforced Yuxin's sense of responsibility toward the history she has been entrusted to share.
"I feel it's a huge honor being a docent. That helps more people know that Mianning is a sacred place with revolutionary history," she said.
Since last year, more than 80 primary school students in Mianning county have participated in the docent training program, helping ensure that the story of the Yihai Alliance continues to reach new generations.
Related stories:
Planting trees lifts Shaanxi village out of poverty
