The Finish Line that Changed China: Retracing the Long March to Yan'an

BEIJING, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from China.org.cn on the Long March, and what it means for China today:

Every journey has a destination.

But some destinations become the beginning of something even greater.

This is Yan'an.

Over 90 years ago, an army of soldiers embarked from Yudu, Jiangxi Province, on a journey that would go down in history.

They crossed snow-capped mountains, vast grasslands and raging rivers, eventually arriving in northern Shaanxi.

Across this grueling 12,500-kilometer journey, they wrote a magnificent epic in human history with willpower and courage.

Here, their Long March came to a victorious end. But a new chapter of history was only beginning.

In Yan'an, the Red Army found time to recover and rebuild, and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China regrouped, gathering strength for the next chapter.

Here, new ideas were debated, new strategies were shaped, and a vision for China's future gradually took form.

Today, while preserving its revolutionary legacy, Yan'an has grown into a vibrant, modern city — with a greener environment, thriving industries and happier lives for its people.

Nearly 90 years ago, American journalist Edgar Snow came to northern Shaanxi, seeking to uncover a story that few outside China knew. He later chronicled it in his book "Red Star Over China," which carried the story of the Long March to the world.

Today, people from around the world are once again retracing those steps.

As part of China International Communications Group (CICG)'s "Together on the Long March" international communication project, participants have spent more than a month retracing the route across six key regions.

From Jiangxi to Shaanxi, they followed the Red Army's journey and witnessed the remarkable changes that have taken place along the way.

I asked them one simple question: What does this journey mean to you?

Zhavier Harris, marketing and communications manager at the Springfield Urban League, said conversations with local residents and descendants of the Red Army made history feel far more immediate than he had expected.

He said history isn't as distant as we often think. "We're only one or two generations from these great sacrifices that led to the development and the greatness that we see from the Communist Party of China and China as a whole."

David Ferguson, honorary chief English editor at Foreign Languages Press under CICG and a recipient of the 2021 Chinese Government Friendship Award, said the journey deepened his understanding of the Long March.

He said the journey helped him understand not only the historical facts, but also what the Red Army endured. "If you see the Long March merely as a military campaign, it ended in Yan'an. But as a spirit, it has never truly come to an end."

We came to retrace history. We leave with something more: a deeper understanding of China's past, a clearer view of its present, and perhaps a greater appreciation for the stories that connect us across cultures.

Edgar Snow called the Long March "an Odyssey unequalled in modern times." He believed that what sustained it was a flame — consisting of an undimmed ardor, an undying hope and an amazing revolutionary optimism.

Ninety years later, that flame still burns.

Passed down through generations, the spirit of the Long March continues to light China's path forward.

And as it crosses borders and cultures, it offers the world a glimpse of a nation defined by resilience, perseverance and an enduring drive to move forward.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm 

The Finish Line that Changed China: Retracing the Long March to Yan'an
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2026-07/23/content_118614941.shtml

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SOURCE China.org.cn