The lives of China's Red Army soldiers may have been sacrificed in the country's long march, but their legacy and spirit live on. One soldier, Kong Xianquan, was also the first director of the Zunyi Meeting Memorial Museum, one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls established after the founding of the People's Republic of China. CGTN's Wei Lynn Tang caught up with Kong's granddaughter, Kong Xia, who does all she can to promote the Red Army's spirit.

It's been 31 years since Kong Xia's grandfather passed away. She was only 18 at the time.

Kong Xianquan, formerly known as Kong Quan, was one of the thousands of red army soldiers who fought in China's historic long march.

The 6-thousand mile march saw the armed forces of the Communist Party of China eventually defeat the Kuomintang forces, resulting in the China that it is today - modern and peaceful.

Kong Xianquan stayed back in Zunyi city, a crucial meeting point in the arduous march.

And today, his spirit and the red army's live on in his granddaughter.

KONG XIA GRANDDAUGHTER OF RED ARMY SOLDIER "In China, we have some people who believe in religion, and others who don't. But I think for every Chinese, the spirit of our long march and red army should be the belief that our patriots should hold fast to."

I asked Kong Xia how she defines the red army spirit.

KONG XIA GRANDDAUGHTER OF RED ARMY SOLDIER "First, it's to have a firm belief in ourselves. Secondly, to have a goal - be it in work or life. In any setbacks that we encounter, we must move forward firmly towards our goal. It is when we have faith that we can see hope and success in times of difficulty. We should not be afraid of hardship and loss. We should also not lose sight of traditional virtues such as hard work and living plainly. Even when we live in wealth, we cannot waste."

Kong Xia is engaged in promoting red culture work, and hopes to institutionalize red culture activities.

She finds meaning in teaching primary school children, and training tour guides and lecturers.

KONG XIA GRANDDAUGHTER OF RED ARMY SOLDIER "In the process of my job, I would share with others that the spirit of the long march and red army is: to do the best we can, to not cause trouble for others, and to consider the needs of others. This is the greatest contribution to our society. There are two long marches in everyone's heart, I believe. one that has been written into history by our revolutionary martyrs. While for us who are still on our feet, it's to work towards: how can we be the best version of ourselves."

China is now the world's second-largest economy. Its development is increasingly intertwined with that of international affairs.

And it is for this reason that Kong Xia says China needs to learn more about and be inspired by the history of the long march and red army.

KONG XIA GRANDDAUGHTER OF RED ARMY SOLDIER "I feel very honored to be born in this flourishing generation, where I can witness the development of our country. When I was a child, my family was very poor. At that point in time, I did not think I could have what I have today. As what General Secretary Xi Jinping said, we have to strive for happiness. China today has become strong. But in the process of these scientific and technological developments are contributions made by each individual labourer. So the change in China today is not because of one person, it's because of the efforts of billions of Chinese over generations."

It's these values of hard work, humility, and never forgetting where you came from -- that Kong Xia hopes to continue paying forward for many more generations in China to come. WLT, CGTN, Zunyi city in Guizhou province.