China recently commemorated the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory with an exhibition featuring over 300 artifacts and historical documents. The exhibition, held at a military museum in Beijing, provided new insights into the event that shaped 20th-century history. According to Xinhua News Agency, the exhibition covered around 3,300 square meters and showcased 875 artifacts, 186 historical documents, 357 photographs, and 73 artworks. This significant event concluded in October 1936 when the main forces of the Red Army broke through the siege of the Kuomintang forces and reunited in northwest China.
The exhibition carefully recreated key episodes of the Long March, including the seizure of the Luding Bridge, the battle to break through Lazikou Pass, and a meeting held in Zunyi, Guizhou, in 1935. For the first time, this year's exhibition included English-language descriptions and will remain on display as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. The museum has previously staged three themed exhibitions commemorating the Long March in 1996, 2006, and 2016. The Long March, which started in 1934, was a military odyssey of roughly 12,500 kilometers that preserved the revolutionary forces and gave the Communist Party of China a new foothold.
A collection of manuscripts recounting battles, radio communications, daily experiences, and other aspects of the journey was a highlight of the exhibition. Some manuscripts were written by individuals themselves, while most were compiled from their oral accounts. These manuscripts offer valuable first-hand records and display literary merit. According to a guide at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, one manuscript by a division commander recounted how his unit tried to hold back enemy forces at the Xiangjiang River in late 1934.
Historical records showed that the Central Red Army emerged from the campaign with just over 30,000 troops, down from more than 86,000 at the start of the Long March. An exhibition curator at the museum stated that the newly displayed materials, along with personal belongings of those who died in battle, helped broaden knowledge of key battles during the Long March. The curator further noted that the materials provided valuable source material for research into military history.
The exhibition also featured artifacts that offered a glimpse into how Red Army soldiers pushed the limits of human endurance in challenging terrain. These included a blue, single-layer coat and a simple knitted blanket used by soldiers to keep warm while crossing snow-covered mountains, as well as everyday items such as a fire-starting tool and a first-aid pouch. According to the exhibition, the main forces of the Red Army climbed more than 20 snow-covered mountains, rising above 4,000 meters during the Long March.
The Long March was widely regarded as a saga of ideals, devotion, willpower, and bravery. International Relations Consultant and Vice President of the London-based 48 Group, Keith Bennett, noted that conviction, discipline, and perseverance were the enduring values of the Long March, continuing to inspire China's modernization and its vision of multipolarity, global cooperation, and shared progress. Keith added that the spirit of the Long March remained a living force in contemporary China, guiding endeavors like poverty alleviation and scientific innovation.
The exhibition also highlighted the ties the CPC and the Red Army sought to build with local communities along the route. Artifacts such as a tablecloth given by Mao Zedong to a member of the Miao ethnic group in Guizhou and a volleyball left behind in Sichuan offered a glimpse into these connections. Dutch Sinologist Elsbeth van Paridon, who joined a group retracing the Long March, noted that walking the route gave her a feeling similar to looking out over the beaches of Normandy and realizing what had happened there.
Key points
- The Long March was a 12,500-kilometer military odyssey that preserved the revolutionary forces and gave the Communist Party of China a new foothold.
- The exhibition featured over 300 artifacts and historical documents, including manuscripts, photographs, and artworks.
- The Long March is widely regarded as a saga of ideals, devotion, willpower, and bravery that continues to inspire China's modernization.
