What a 1928 manifesto reveals about the CPC's revolutionary ideals

An ancient city wall in Jian'ge County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, bears a 173-character stone inscription of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Ten-Point Political Program. Measuring 11.4 meters long and 1.7 meters wide, the inscription reflects the Party's revolutionary ideals at the time.

The inscription was carved by the Chinese Red Army in 1935, when the troops reached Jian'ge during the Long March. Spanning from 1934 to 1936, the Long March was a military retreat undertaken by the Red Army to break through military encirclement campaigns led by the Kuomintang (KMT). It became a pivotal chapter in the CPC's revolutionary history, paving the way for its eventual victory over the KMT and the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The Ten-Point Political Program was adopted at the Sixth National Congress of the CPC, held in 1928. It included calls to unify China, overthrow the KMT-led government and institute workers' rights, including an eight-hour workday, wage increases, social insurance and unemployment relief. It also called for redistributing landlords' land to peasants and abolishing heavy taxes.

The 10 points were formulated against a backdrop of widespread poverty and social hardship in China. At the time, most farmers had little or no land and struggled with high rents, heavy taxes and the turmoil of war and natural disasters. Workers also endured long hours and low wages with little social protection.

After observing the hardships faced by farmers and workers, intellectuals among CPC members gradually advanced proposals reflected in the Ten-Point Political Program. These ideas subsequently became part of the foundation for the Party's efforts to organize workers and farmers to participate in their revolution.

The 10 points won major support among China's workers and farmers. The survival of the Jian'ge inscription for nearly a century also owes much to local residents who risked their lives to protect it.

After the Red Army left Jian'ge, local residents covered the carved characters with mud and lime to conceal them and protect the inscription from destruction by enemy forces. The inscription remained hidden beneath layers of earth for years. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, local residents restored the inscription to its original appearance.

Similar traces of the Ten-Point Political Program have been discovered in other parts of China.

In Nanyaojie Town of Youyang County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, another Ten-Point Political Program inscription written by the Red Army has survived on a wall.

"The street was once a bustling commercial hub near the Sichuan-Guizhou border, making it an ideal place to spread the message," said Li Hong, director of the Party History Research Office of Youyang County.

Li said local support for the Red Army grew as residents saw the troops "genuinely doing concrete things" for them. During their less-than-six-month stay, the Red Army expanded from more than 3,000 to over 4,000 troops and established a military hospital that provided free medical care to local residents.

More than 50 revolutionary sites related to the Red Army, including the hospital, remain in Nanyaojie Town. Many have survived in relatively good condition for more than 80 years.

Today, these sites serve not only as enduring reminders of history, but also as reminders of the close ties forged between the Red Army and local communities during the revolutionary period.