6 | Tuesday, February 23, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY CHINA Timeline ‘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 (1934-35). 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 (1934-35). 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 March-themed 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 study-oriented 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 best-known tourist desti- will be established over that time that was once appreciated by some history with scholars. nations, is a north-facing, two-sto- and about 31 billion yuan ($4.8 bil- “It’s well-known 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 11-year-old, 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 second-floor 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.