Ninety years after its historic conclusion, the Red Army’s Long March remains an enduring symbol of courage, perseverance, unity and determination. As China commemorates the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March in 2026, the extraordinary journey continues to resonate beyond its historical setting, offering lessons in leadership, national development, collective strength and international cooperation.
Undertaken between October 1934 and October 1936, the Long March was one of the most consequential episodes in modern Chinese history. The Red Army, the predecessor of today’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), embarked on an arduous strategic withdrawal amid fierce military confrontations during China’s revolutionary struggle. What began as a desperate effort to survive eventually became a defining chapter in the country’s political transformation and revolutionary history.
More than a military operation, the Long March represented an extraordinary demonstration of human endurance, strategic adaptability and the power of collective determination. Its legacy continues to influence China’s national outlook and development philosophy, while offering broader insights into overcoming adversity through unity and perseverance.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Long March was the indispensable role played by ordinary people. The Red Army’s survival depended not merely on military discipline and strategic decisions but also on the trust, generosity and cooperation of communities encountered along its route.
In October 1934, when more than 86,000 Red Army soldiers prepared to cross the river at Yudu in Jiangxi Province, local residents reportedly contributed wooden doors, bed frames and even coffins to construct temporary pontoon bridges. Their sacrifices helped make possible a critical crossing at the beginning of the historic expedition.
Another defining moment occurred in May 1935 in the mountainous region of Sichuan, where the Red Army entered territory inhabited by the Yi ethnic community. Historical mistrust and cultural differences presented formidable obstacles to its advance.
Rather than relying solely on military strength, Red Army commander Liu Bocheng sought to establish mutual confidence with Yi leader Xiaoyedan. At Yihai Lake, the two pledged brotherhood according to Yi customs, symbolically using lake water instead of wine. The agreement facilitated the army’s passage and became an enduring example of cooperation across ethnic and cultural boundaries.
Similarly, when the Red Army reached Huining in Gansu Province in 1936, local communities reportedly provided food, clothing and new recruits to support the exhausted forces.
These episodes illustrate a fundamental principle of the Long March: meaningful progress requires public trust and participation. The Red Army’s ability to recognise local traditions, respect cultural identities and develop relationships with communities proved essential to its survival.
The experience also demonstrated that unity does not necessarily require uniformity. Instead, lasting solidarity can emerge when differences are acknowledged, and mutual interests are pursued through understanding and cooperation.
The Long March reached its historic conclusion in October 1936, when the principal Red Army forces completed their convergence in the areas of Huining in Gansu and Jiangtaibao in Ningxia.
Although the journey involved enormous human losses, exhausting marches, treacherous mountains, dangerous river crossings and severe weather, its successful conclusion helped preserve the revolutionary movement and reshape the course of Chinese history.
Nine decades later, its relevance extends beyond the circumstances of the 1930s.
For the international community, the Long March offers three particularly significant lessons.
The first is the importance of pursuing development paths grounded in national realities.
The Red Army’s ability to recognise local traditions, respect cultural identities and develop relationships with communities proved essential to its survival.
The Long March compelled China’s revolutionary leadership to confront difficult circumstances, reassess established approaches and adapt strategies to changing conditions. Its experience reinforced the importance of understanding domestic realities rather than mechanically applying external models.
This principle continues to feature prominently in China’s development narrative. China’s modernisation has evolved through experimentation, policy adjustments and approaches shaped by its own economic, social and institutional circumstances.
For developing countries, particularly those in the Global South, the broader lesson is that successful transformation cannot always be achieved through the wholesale adoption of predetermined formulas. Sustainable progress requires solutions that reflect local priorities, available resources and national aspirations.
The second lesson concerns the power of cooperation and shared responsibility.
During the Long March, the Red Army crossed numerous rivers and mountain ranges, often relying on assistance from local communities. Its experience demonstrated how collective action can help overcome challenges that appear impossible when confronted individually.
The contemporary international system faces comparable tests of cooperation, although under vastly different circumstances. Climate change, food insecurity, energy transitions, technological inequality and development financing are challenges that no country can effectively address in isolation.
The spirit of cooperation associated with the Long March offers a useful metaphor for a renewed internationalism based on mutual respect, practical partnerships and shared development.
Such an approach is especially relevant to the Global South, where many countries face disproportionate exposure to climate-related risks despite contributing relatively little to historical greenhouse gas emissions.
Building resilient infrastructure, expanding access to clean energy and strengthening technological cooperation require sustained partnerships rather than one-size-fits-all prescriptions.
The third lesson is the enduring value of humility, perseverance and strategic flexibility.
The Long March began under extremely unfavourable circumstances. The Red Army faced military pressure, severe shortages and the constant possibility of defeat. Its survival required not only determination but also the ability to reassess decisions, recognise mistakes and change direction when circumstances demanded.
These qualities remain essential in a rapidly changing world. Whether addressing economic uncertainty, environmental pressures or technological disruption, nations must combine long-term vision with the flexibility to respond to emerging realities.
The Long March therefore represents more than the triumph of endurance. It underscores the importance of learning from experience, maintaining strategic patience and refusing to surrender in the face of adversity.
The spirit associated with the Long March has acquired a new expression in China’s contemporary development journey.
Where Red Army soldiers once traversed difficult mountains, rivers and grasslands in pursuit of survival, modern Chinese engineers, scientists and workers are overcoming geographical and technological barriers to strengthen national connectivity, improve living standards and support economic transformation.
China’s ambitious infrastructure projects demonstrate the scale of this transformation.
In 2025, China’s West-to-East Power Transmission initiative reportedly achieved a record 261.6 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity transmission. According to reported estimates, this was associated with savings equivalent to approximately 330 million tonnes of coal and a reduction of around 860 million tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions.
The project reflects China’s efforts to connect energy-rich western regions with major electricity-consuming centres in the east, improving resource allocation while supporting the country’s transition toward cleaner energy.
Another major achievement is the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, one of the world’s largest water-transfer initiatives. By August 10, 2026, the first phase of its eastern and central routes had reportedly delivered more than 90 billion cubic meters of water, helping address water shortages in northern China.
China’s rapidly expanding high-speed railway system provides another example of its infrastructure ambitions. With a network exceeding 50,000 kilometres, high-speed rail has transformed domestic mobility, shortened travel times and strengthened economic links between cities and regions.
These accomplishments involve far more than engineering expertise, concrete structures, transmission lines and railway tracks. They embody a development philosophy centred on overcoming obstacles, mobilising collective capabilities and pursuing long-term national objectives.
Although the circumstances of modern development differ fundamentally from those of the revolutionary era, the themes of determination, coordination and sustained effort provide a symbolic connection between the two periods.
From the demanding routes of the historic Long March to the sophisticated transportation, energy and water networks of contemporary China, the narrative of confronting challenges through collective endeavour continues to occupy an important place in the country’s national identity.
The writer is a senior Journalist. He is also President of Institute of International Relations and Media Research (IIRMR).