David Ferguson:

This is the Yudu River. One evening in October 1934, over 86,000 Red Army soldiers crossed this waterway and began the Long March, a two-year journey that shaped history.

Yet standing here by the river, a basic question arises: when faith in a better future meets constant setbacks from reality, where does one draw the moral strength to continue believing?

Wang Xiaohui:

At dusk on October 17, 1934, more than 86,000 troops gathered along the Yudu River. Over 800 boats of various sizes rested on the water, connected by planks taken from village gates, wooden beams, and even coffin boards set aside for elders. Local residents constructed this floating bridge to assist the Communist Party-led army in crossing.

At the time, no one foresaw that the expedition starting from these banks would reshape China and influence the wider world.

China during the 1920s and 1930s suffered from disorder and hardship. The ruling Kuomintang could not unite the country, resulting in ongoing conflicts among regional warlords. In 1931, Japanese forces began their attack on northeastern China. Under pressure from internal strife and external threats, many civilians lost their homes, and some starved in the streets. In places hit by severe drought, crops failed completely, yet farmers still faced demands for land taxes covering future years.

Amid the chaos, the Communist Party of China offered the sole source of hope through its revolution. Committed to national independence and freedom for the people, the Party formed Red Army units and rural revolutionary bases. Poor farmers received land and new political respect. On November 7, 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic was established in Ruijin, a village in southeastern Jiangxi Province, creating a system where workers, peasants, and soldiers chose representatives to govern and set policies.

The communist vision of an equal society without exploitation shone like a light in dark times. It inspired the poor and supplied the belief that helped the Red Army, composed of workers and peasants, endure future trials.

Still, this light could flicker under repeated blows from reality. In September 1933, enemy aircraft filled the skies above the revolutionary bases. While Japanese troops advanced into North China, Chiang Kai-shek ignored the national danger and sent over a million soldiers plus 200 planes against the Red Army areas. After four failed encirclement campaigns in three years, he sought a decisive win to regain standing and eliminate the Communist forces.

Red Army leaders abandoned flexible tactics developed by Mao Zedong and others, choosing instead fixed positional battles. Many units lacked even one light machine gun, making direct confrontation with better-equipped Nationalist troops nearly impossible.

Medic Zhong Ming recalled wounded soldiers arriving at his station, including one with a shattered chest who asked comrades to end his suffering. At the front, an entire battalion followed orders to hold simple earth bunkers, only to be wiped out by artillery and air attacks, with no survivors.

Despite brave fighting, unequal strength and flawed commands caused heavy losses. By October 1934, the encirclement tightened around Ruijin.

Faced with this crisis, what choice would follow? Staying meant certain defeat with no space to operate. Breaking out, though risky, preserved the chance to continue. Keeping the Red Army intact mattered more than holding fixed positions. Where the spark remains, the way forward stays visible.

In the October chill, Central Red Army units assembled in Yudu for a strategic move. The plan stayed secret; soldiers sensed something different but did not know they were leaving the base areas.

At dusk on October 17, crowds gathered at the riverbank. Thousands of villagers came to bid farewell, walking with the troops and placing eggs and rice balls in their pockets while wishing for a quick return.

The main force departed. Within days, they left the areas where they had grown and taken root. Few expected the trek to span more than 10 provinces or lead eventually to a new China.

Looking back, some say the Red Army left only because enemies forced the move. While partly true, this does not lessen the journey's significance. Ordinary soldiers did not know the distance or destination, yet they held to their core goal of liberating the people and achieving national independence. This conviction prevented collapse amid dangers and carried them onward.

David Ferguson:

I see now that faith and ideals gain real weight only when tested by harsh conditions. Since its start, the Communist Party of China has pursued communism as its core aim. Despite severe losses and difficulties, the Red Army advanced without faltering. Its strength came from firm belief in the cause, loyalty to original goals, and a clear sense of purpose. The Red Army was not escaping danger but moving toward a future it trusted.

Wang Xiaohui:

The Long March lasted two years. The Red Army covered 25,000 li over difficult terrain, keeping spirits high while seeking hope in despair and light in darkness. The ideals and mission they carried have guided later generations of Party members through a century, strengthening their resolve toward national renewal.

That spark first lit along the Yudu River has continued to shine.