The Long March: History that shaped my understanding of China

There is something extraordinary about standing in a place you have known only through books. History acquires a landscape, familiar names become more human, and distant events begin to feel tangible.

Growing up in a family that valued multiculturalism and intellectual curiosity, I developed an early fascination with world history, different cultures and the people who shaped nations. Among the figures who captured my attention was Mao Zedong, alongside one of the defining episodes of modern Chinese history: the Long March.

Years later, working for CGTN, I found myself in Yeping Village, Ruijin, east China's Jiangxi Province, filming a documentary about this historic journey. I had come to document history. I did not expect the experience to change the way I understood its relationship with the present.

Where a revolution took shape

In November 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic established its provisional central government in Ruijin. Yeping became an important center of the revolutionary movement and a place closely associated with the early history of the Communist Party of China.

A short walk away from the site of the Provisional Central Government, Mao’s former residence offers a glimpse into the modest surroundings of that revolutionary era. The house, with its traditional Hakka architecture and open courtyard, has a quiet beauty all of its own. Standing there, I was struck by how a place so rich in character could also hold such significance in China’s revolutionary history.

Perhaps the most remarkable witness to this history is a tree near Mao’s former residence. Beneath its branches, Mao is remembered as having read and spoken with local residents. According to the account preserved at the site, a bomb struck the tree during an air raid in 1933 but, remarkably, failed to explode. Chairman Mao was reportedly working nearby. Rather than flee, he chose to remain and continue his work. 

Standing beneath its branches, I found myself imagining the conversations that might once have taken place there, and the uncertainty of a time when the future was far from assured.  

The Long March: A legacy of courage and perseverance

Just when I thought my journey through Jiangxi had revealed its most remarkable stories, an exhibit at a museum in Yudu County stopped me in my tracks: a map of China made from the straw sandals worn by Red Army soldiers. These humble objects brought the hardships of the Long March to life, making history feel tangible.

Launched in 1934, the Long March was a strategic retreat that became a turning point in the history of the Communist Party of China. Despite hunger, exhaustion and formidable obstacles, the Red Army persevered, shaping China’s future.

Looking at those sandals, I found myself thinking less about the distances on a map and more about the people who had to cross them. Each step required endurance; the journey as a whole demanded extraordinary sacrifice. The exhibit transformed an immense historical narrative into something immediate and human.

It also helped me understand why the Long March continues to occupy such a prominent place in China’s historical memory. Beyond the events themselves, it has come to symbolize perseverance, solidarity and collective determination.

Understanding China through its history

Mao Zedong’s historical significance is inseparable from the revolutionary movement he led and the transformation of China’s political order. His legacy remains visible in the country's public spaces and cultural symbols. His portrait still overlooks Tiananmen Square from Tiananmen Gate, linking the capital’s contemporary landscape with the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

The revolutionary era also sought to reshape society. The slogan “Women hold up half the sky,” associated with Mao Zedong, expressed the ambition to give women a greater role in public life and in building a new society. The phrase remains familiar today and is often invoked in global movements advocating human rights and gender equality. Yet few people who quote it today may know its historical origins or its association with Mao Zedong.

Among the many remarkable quotes and slogans associated with Mao, one resonates with me in particular: “In times of difficulty, we must not lose sight of our achievements, must see the bright future, and must pluck up our courage.”

To me, these words capture something deeply meaningful about China today: confidence in the progress already made, resilience in the face of challenges, and faith in the possibilities of tomorrow.  

The human cost of the Long March was enormous, but what fascinates me most is the idea behind it: that sacrifices made today can shape the future of generations to come. Mao and the Red Army fought for a different future, one they believed would benefit those who followed. This belief in doing our best today for the sake of our children tomorrow remains deeply embedded in Chinese society and culture. The Long March became part of that legacy, shaping China’s national identity and its determination to forge its own path.

Perhaps this is why, living in China, I have come to understand that knowing the country means looking beyond its economic growth, technological achievements and global influence. It also means understanding the history and collective memories that shape its identity and the values its people take pride in. The Long March is one such defining chapter, remembered not only for the sacrifices it demanded, but also for the perseverance and collective spirit it came to symbolize.

From revolutionary China to the present

As I walked through Yeping, one question stayed with me: What would Mao and the Red Army soldiers think if they could see China today? What would they make of Beijing’s soaring skyline, its high-speed railways and its technological advances? The distance between the China they knew and the country I see today is immense.

This transformation was shaped by successive generations, political and economic changes, and the aspirations and contributions of millions of ordinary people. Yet the Long March remains an important chapter in the historical journey that shaped modern China.

I came to Jiangxi to film a documentary about the Long March. I left with a different understanding of what it means to encounter history – not as a distant sequence of events, but as a living part of a country’s identity.

And then, standing in Yeping, I suddenly realized something: to truly understand a country, you must look beyond what it has become and discover the history, struggles and dreams that brought it here. Sometimes, all it takes is standing in a place where the past still feels alive.