Special Report: 70th anniversary of Long March

Red Army soldier Li Zhanrong, 86, joins 4,500 people yesterday at Jiangtaibao in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to mark the 70th anniversary of the Long March. The first and second front armies of the Chinese Workers and Peasants' Red Army joined forces at Jiangtaibao on October 22, 1936, marking the final victory of the Long March. (Photo: Shanghai Daily)

The revolutionary ideal of the Long March has turned into reality, President Hu Jintao said yesterday.

He said the Red Army's Long March from 1934 to 1936 was a great turning point for the Chinese revolution to go from defeat to victory.

"Today, we can say with pride that the revolutionary ideal the Red Army demonstrated in its Long March has turned into reality," he said.

"The seeds the Red Army sowed during its Long March have blossomed and borne fruit. There will be more colorful flowers and fruit."

Hu said the epic march, led by the Communist Party of China, ushered in a new dawn and opened up a bright future for the Party to unite and lead the people to beat the Japanese militaristic aggressors and strive to build a new independent, free, democratic, united and prosperous country.

Hu and other top leaders attended a grand ceremony yesterday in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.

Other ceremonies were held around the country.

Hu said the Long March, which laid an important foundation for the victory of China's revolution, has been a matter of pride for the Chinese Communists, the army and the nation.

The aim of the grand ceremony, he said, was to encourage the whole Party, the army and people of all China's ethnic groups to advance valiantly along the socialist road with Chinese characteristics.

The Long March was a famous military maneuver carried out by the Workers and Peasants' Red Army to combat the Kuomintang regime.

Though many soldiers died on the 12,500-kilometer trek, which began in Ruijin in east China's Jiangxi Province, the Red Army finally arrived at Yan'an in western Shaanxi Province, where the new headquarters of CPC was later established.

Recounting the history of the Long March, Hu called it a rarely seen expedition in the history of human warfare and referred to the long time it took, the long route it traveled, the great disparity of force between the Red Army and enemy troops and the appalling natural conditions.

He said the victory of the Long March shows the outstanding capabilities of the Chinese Communists in leading the revolutionary war, the undaunted spirit of the Red Army officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for national independence and people's emancipation, and the fact that the just power of the people's revolutionary war is unbeatable.

The president said the Long March is of great and profound significance to the development of the Party, the army and the Chinese nation.

Since the victory of the Long March 70 years ago, the Party has united and led the people of all ethnic groups to carry out great new "Long Marches," one after another, and achieved great victories during the different historic periods of revolution, construction and reform, he said.

Hu pledged to inherit and carry on the glorious revolutionary traditions of the Red Army through the country's current reform, opening and socialist modernization drive.

He said the lofty revolutionary ideal of the Long March should be carried on as a powerful spiritual pillar in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

"We should strengthen unity of the whole Party and among the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, in order to consolidate the wisdom and power in the widest range for the development of the cause of the Party and the people," he said.

In addition, he said the modernization of national defense and the army and the building of the Party's ruling capabilities and advanced nature should be strengthened as well.

Editor: Yan