6 | Tuesday, February 23, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY CHINA
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‘Red history’ helps guide the future Jan 15 17, 1935: The Zunyi Meeting After the Red Army takes over The story of the Long March and the Red Army are being showcased at a famous tourist site in Zunyi, a city of military importance Southwest China. Yang Jun reports from Zunyi, Guizhou, with Yang Wanli in Beijing. in Guizhou, Southwest China, an expanded meeting of the CPC Cen tral Committee Politburo is held ver the past year, the during the Long March (193435). number of visitors to sce It focuses on rectifying errors in nic spots has declined as military and organizational affairs a result of regulations and establishes the correct leader Odesigned to reduce the risk of trans ship of the new Central Committee, mission of the novel coronavirus. as represented by Mao Zedong. The Zunyi Meeting Site in South The Zunyi Meeting is regarded as west China’s Guizhou province is a crucial turning point in the Long no exception. Famous for its signifi March, leading to the ultimate suc cance in the history of the Commu cess of the Chinese revolution. nist Party of China, the site saw 2.61 million visits last year — half the Jan 26, 1935: The Battle of number in 2019. Huangpodong Despite that, Wang Zhili, deputy On the morning of Jan 26, 1935, curator of the site’s museum, said a group of Red Army soldiers dis last year was his “busiest ever”. guised as villagers is scheduled to Since June, the museum’s infra visit Chishui county to meet with structure has been improved and other troops. However, when they some new facilities have been built. arrive at Huangpodong (12 kilo “The museum will be a crucial meters from the county), their part of the Long March National accents alert enemy troops during Cultural Park, the first of its kind in an examination and interrogation China. By the end of this year, the session. This branch of the Red site will have a fantastic new look,” Army suffers heavy losses and is he said. forced to retreat. As a result, the army has to find another way of Blueprint entering the county, which directly In 2019, the government issued a contributes to the Four Crossings of blueprint for the construction of the Chishui River. national cultural parks related to the Great Wall, the Beijing Jan 19 – March 22, 1935: The Bat Hangzhou Grand Canal and the tle of Chishui River (aka the Four Long March (193435). According to Crossings of the Chishui River) the document, issued by the general After becoming supreme military offices of the CPC Central Commit leader of the Red Army, Mao leads tee and the State Council, construc People visit the Zunyi Meeting Site in Southwest China’s Guizhou province in July. YOU YOUHAI / FOR CHINA DAILY his troops to meet another branch tion will be completed in 2023 with of the army led by Zhang Guotao related cultural resources enjoying and Xu Xiangqian in Sichuan pro better protection, along with and become Party leader. Zunyi vince. In light of the changing ene improved inheritance procedures “It’s a great regret to many travel my situation, Mao employs a highly and utilization. ers that they can’t see this meeting flexible approach, which involves Fifteen provinces are involved in room with their own eyes. Howev the Red Army crossing the Chishui the program, including Guizhou, er, thanks to the introduction of 5G Guizhou River four times to avoid the pursu Jiangxi and Fujian (both in East Chi technology and virtual reality, visi ing Kuomintang forces. The move na), and Shaanxi and Gansu in the tors can have an immersive experi Guiyang provides the Red Army with a deci Northwest. ence,” said Hong Min, a guide. sive victory. Zunyi, in the north of Guizhou, The technologies are also being will be an essential area in the con used at the house in which Mao February, 1935: The Battle of struction of the province’s section lived in the city and at the site of CHINA DA I LY Loushanguan (Loushan Pass) of the Long March park. the General Political Department After the Red Army occupies In 1935, the city, 170 kilometers of the Red Army, a forerunner of Zunyi during the Long March, sever north of Guiyang, the provincial the People’s Liberation Army. al warlords in Guizhou station capital, was the site of a pivotal Visitors can also view the muse All those services will troops at Loushan Pass to stop the meeting during the Long March. um’s more than 1,500 historical rel help to pass on the Red Army. The Red Army is victori In January 1935, an expanded ics via VR. By scanning QR codes ous after a fierce battle and occu meeting of the Political Bureau of placed outside the sites or under spirit of the Red pies the pass. It is the Communist the CPC Central Committee was each relic, visitors can listen to an Army. Only by army’s first triumph since the start held in Zunyi. It focused on rectify audio introduction to gain a deeper People sing ‘red’, or revolutionary, songs in the street in Zunyi in of the Long March. ing errors in military and organiza understanding of the relevant his learning about the 2019. SUN JIDONG / FOR CHINA DAILY tional affairs and established a new tory. The service is free. past, can we gain a March 5, 1935: The Yaxi leadership of the Central Commit Taking the meeting site as its cen Conference tee, as represented by Mao Zedong. ter, the park’s Zunyi section will cov deeper understand Along the streets in the city cen tural Park is still under construc A meeting is held to analyze er 13 surrounding counties, districts ing of our achieve ter, some Long Marchthemed cos tion, but He, from the leading the Battle of Loushanguan. Later, Turning point and cities, according to He Ye, an play shops are popular with group, said more immersive tourist a wartime headquarters is estab The Zunyi Meeting is regarded official from the leading team for the ment and get a tourists. For less than 100 yuan, options will be offered in the future. lished, with Zhu De as frontier as the turning point of the Long construction of the Zunyi section. clearer picture of the they can dress like soldiers from They will include “redthemed” commander and Mao as frontier March, leading to the ultimate suc He said basic construction will be the Red Army from head to foot. summer camps to encourage political commissar. It is the first cess of the revolution. As a result, finished by the end of the year, while future.” “It’s very popular with tourists to young people to experience the military meeting after Mao Zunyi has become a sacred spot for the region will see further improve He Ye, from the construction wear Red Army uniforms, walk tough conditions during the march regains the leadership of the par Party members. ments in tourism services from next team of the Long March Nation along the routes, follow in the sol and studyoriented routes, through ty, having previously been The Zunyi Meeting Site, one of year to 2025. More than 150 projects al Cultural Park dier’s footsteps and eat local food which participants will learn Party demoted. the city’s bestknown tourist desti will be established over that time that was once appreciated by some history with scholars. nations, is a northfacing, twosto and about 31 billion yuan ($4.8 bil “It’s wellknown not only locally great people in Chinese history. “All those services will help pass March 10 12, 1935: The Gouba ry building of brick and wood. It lion) will be invested to support but also in other places across the These experiences all help to bring on the spirit of the Red Army. Only Conference has been converted into a museum them. country for the tender mutton and history back to life,” said Sun Hong, by learning about the past, can we A conference is held in Gouba, a commemorating the Long March, the fresh flavor of the sauce. Our a tour guide. gain a deeper understanding of our village in Zunyi. The meeting fur and, as such, it will play a key role Footprints locally grown chile powder is the According to statistics from the achievement and get a clearer pic ther consolidates Mao’s leadership in the park’s Zunyi section. In Zunyi, the Red Army’s foot essence of the snack,” said the city’s culture, sports and tourism ture of the future,” He said. of the CPC and the Red Army. A To ensure protection of the his prints are already deeply imprinted 11yearold, named Mu Honglin. bureau, Zunyi has seen 615 million leadership group is formed — con torical relics, visitors are not in the city’s culture and spirit. She stopped speaking for a sec visits in the past five years. “Red Zhao Yandi and Xu Tian’ge sisting of Mao, Zhou Enlai and allowed to enter the secondfloor On a street near Dongfeng Prima ond, but then raised her voice to tourism” prompted 166 million of contributed to this story. Wang Jiaxiang — and completes meeting room where Mao built a ry School, a student who was leaving emphasize the words: “You know them and generated total revenue the transfer of power decided at position that allowed him to after class recommended mutton what? It was Chairman Mao’s of more than 150 billion yuan. Contact the writers at the Zunyi Meeting. assume command of the military rice noodles, a famous local dish. favorite dish in Zunyi.” The Long March National Cul [email protected] Teacher evokes grandfather’s spirit in the classroom
By YANG JUN and YANG WANLI tang forces had spread a rumor that “For me, the spirit of the Red “So far, the mostdiscussed topics Red Army soldiers “ate human Army has a clear and specific image have been about Party history, the Remembering the time he spent flesh”. — my grandfather. He was tough nation’s history and how the lectur with his grandfather during child Li wanted to find out if the rumor enough to bear so many difficulties ers have been involved in China’s hood, Ma Xun reeled off a list of was true. What he discovered was that we can hardly imagine and development. Students love stories more than 10 historical sites and that the Communists helped sen was so selfless that he treated from people they are familiar with,” museums that have a Red Army iors, tended the sick and often gave everybody as though they were Ma said. theme in Zunyi, his hometown in the their own rations to people who family members,” Ma said. In April, he organized a visit to a southwestern province of Guizhou. were hungry. As viceprincipal of Dongfeng factory near the school that manu “Unlike my peers’ grandparents, On Jan 15, 1935, the Communist Primary School, Ma evokes his factures power equipment for who usually took their grandchil Party of China began one of its most grandfather’s spirit in his work space rockets and astronauts’ spa dren to parks or playgrounds at important meetings in Zunyi, when and encourages students to cher cesuits. weekends, my grandpa, a Long Mao Zedong, New China’s found ish life and the chance to gain an The trip was warmly welcomed March veteran, always took me to ing father, was elected leader. education by learning more about by the students. ‘red history’ sites and told me sto It was around that time that Li history. “For my grandfather’s genera ries about his life,” the 43yearold spoke to a Red Army soldier and “My grandfather always asked tion, their love of the country was said. volunteered to join their ranks. me to treasure these peaceful times illustrated by their devotion. In Born in Zunyi in 1921, Li Guang, As a CPC member for more than that were gained through the sacri today’s society, patriotism is reflect Ma Xun reads a book with students at Dongfeng Primary School in Ma’s grandfather, was orphaned at 80 years, Li survived the war and fice of many lives,” Ma said. ed among the younger generation Zunyi and shares stories about his grandfather. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY the age of 2. When he turned 8, his never spared any efforts to shoul Since 2007, when he started work as they are learning more and con foster parents abandoned him, so der responsibility and help those in at the school, Ma has promoted var tributing their intelligence to assist he started herding cattle. He often need. ious activities related to the “red the country’s development,” Ma Some students at the primary Mu Honglin, an 11yearold who went hungry. Starting in 1994, he donated spirit” and patriotic education. said. school are involved in the program, signed up for the program in the In January 1935, when a group of more than 600,000 yuan ($93,000) Each of the school’s 36 classes In 2016, the education bureau in which helps them gain an indepth fourth grade, said: “I love stories Red Army soldiers arrived in Zunyi in total to about 1,700 impoverish has one special lecture every Zunyi’s Honghuagang district, understanding of their hometown’s about my hometown. Zunyi is after crossing the Wujiang River ed students, and voluntarily deliv semester, when a student’s parent where the school is located, revolutionary tradition and estab famous as a ‘red city’, and that spirit during the Long March (193435), ered over 1,000 speeches about the or family member is asked to launched a training program for lish clear goals and plans for their is deeply imprinted in people’s Li waited to see them. CPC’s history to about 100,000 instruct a class. They decide on the students who serve as “little exhibi futures, according to Luo Weiwei, hearts.” In a bid to get people to vacate people. topic based on their own lives or tion guides” at weekends and dur an official with the education the town, the Nationalist Kuomin He died on Jan 12 at age 99. work experiences. ing holidays. bureau. Yang Yang contributed to this story.