Mianning: The Sworn Brotherhood That Helped the Long March

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Mianning: The Sworn Brotherhood That Helped the Long March

In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached Mianning County in southwestern Sichuan. To escape the pursuing enemy forces and continue north, they first had to cross the rugged homeland of the Yi people, a minority group long oppressed by the Nationalist government and deeply hostile to outsiders. The only safe route was a hidden trail through Yi territory—but the Red Army needed the Yi's trust to make it through.

On May 22, Red Army Chief of Staff Liu Bocheng met Yi Chief Xiao Yedan at Yihai Lake. Instead of demanding submission, Liu followed the Yi's local custom: they killed a chicken, mixed its blood with water, and drank it as sworn brothers. This ritual alliance (later known as the "Yihai Alliance") won them the Yi's friendship. For the next seven days, Yi's guides led the Red Army safely through the mountains, opening the road north to the Dadu River—where they would later capture the Luding Bridge and cross to safety, without a single shot being fired in Yi territory.

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