Eighty years ago, the Chinese Red Army clinched the victory of the 25,000-li (7,767 miles) Long March from 1934 to 1936. The Vietnamese Nguyen Son, better known as “Hongshui” in China, was one of foreign participants we will never forget. In today’s episode of Foreigners in the Long March, we will bring you a story of the fighter who not only served as a commander in the Red Army, but also contributed to the publicity of the Communist Party of China.

At the age of 19, Nguyen Son joined the CPC in 1927. He was the only foreigner who went through from the founding of the Chinese Red Army in 1927 to the victory of China's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in 1945. 

In China, he is better known as “Hong Shui,” or "flood." It is believed that he likened himself to a torrent of water, scoffing at the negative connotation the nationalists attached to the word with which they identified communists.

Besides being a dynamic military leader, Hong used words as weapons to gather the masses around the communist party. He served as the editor-in-chief for the “Fighting Against the Enemy” newspaper and the “Training for Fights Review” of the Red Army.

In 1956, he returned to Hanoi where he died the same year of cancer.

 Five years later, Mao Zedong named him Major General in the Chinese army in recognition of his services. Hong was also bestowed the same rank in Vietnam. 

Five years later, Mao Zedong named him Major General in the Chinese army in recognition of his services. Hong was also bestowed the same rank in Vietnam. 

In 1945, Hong returned to Vietnam to fight French colonialists, but came back to China in 1950.