A grassland of beauty and sacrifice in Sichuan

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The Riganqiao Wetland in Hongyuan County, Sichuan Province, China, July 8, 2026. /VCG

Endless green meadows unfold under wide blue skies at the breathtaking grassland of Riganqiao today, with serene wetlands reflecting drifting clouds. Yet this stunning highland marsh was known as the “Sea of Death on Land” during the Long March.

In 1935–1936, the Chinese Red Army crossed what was then a vast swamp. Beneath the beautiful grass hid bottomless mud pits. The weather shifted violently in minutes: blazing sun, sudden hail, freezing winds and heavy rain came one after another. Short of food, medicine and warm clothes, soldiers trod through the treacherous marshland. Many heroes never walked out of this quiet grassland.

The beauty we admire now stands on their perseverance and sacrifice.

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