Chinese, Vietnamese students retrace Long March route in Yunnan

A group of Chinese students and Vietnamese students with Chinese heritage recently retraced parts of the Red Army's Long March route in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture and Lijiang, Yunnan province, gaining a deeper understanding of this chapter in China's history.

In Xinzhuang village of Binchuan county, Dali, known as the Red Army village, the young visitors attended a local performance titled Farewell. The play recreated the historical moment when villagers left their homes to join the Long March.

Lau Cat Tuong, an international student at Yunnan Normal University, was most impressed by the acting. "The dedication and sincerity in their performances conveyed the era's deep sense of reluctance to part (with their families) and commitment to the revolution," she said. "I don't think they were merely performing; they were preserving history in their own way, which I found touching."

During their following visit to Lijiang Ancient Town, they listened to He Wenguang, a musician from the Naxi ethnic group, who shared a touching story of the Naxi people's heartfelt farewells to the Red Army.

"The Red Army arrived in Lijiang on April 24, 1936, and departed in the early hours of April 26. The locals who had gathered to bid farewell remained until the Red Army disappeared over the Lashi Pass," He said. "This indicated that in such a short period, the Naxi people of Lijiang Ancient Town formed a deep bond with the Red Army."

Zhang Ke, a student at Yunnan Normal University, spoke about how the Red Army's ranks expanded as they moved through various regions, recruiting local people along the way due to the tangible benefits they brought to the communities.

"Before participating in this event, I only had a general idea of the Red Army's Long March, mostly from books or movies," she said. "It was only upon arriving here that I properly understood the immense challenges the Red Army faced during the Long March."