GUIYANG, July 6 (Xinhua) -- In drizzling rain in Xishui County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, 70-year-old Scottish scholar David Ferguson walked up the stone steps leading to the memorial of the Qinggangpo battle, leaning on a hand-made walking stick.
He made the walking stick from a tree branch he picked up in Yudu County, east China's Jiangxi Province, and whipped a handle from red cord. The simple tool has accompanied him along the historic Long March route.
Ferguson is among a group of foreign scholars, journalists and experts invited by the China International Communications Group (CICG) to retrace the historic route. The journey, which began on June 15 and spans more than 40 days, brings participants from countries including the United States, Britain and Vietnam to unpack the Red Army's legendary military feat.
Tucked amid lush green hills, Qinggangpo Village was where the battle that heralded the military masterpiece -- the Four Crossings of the Chishui River -- took place. Over 3,000 Red Army soldiers sacrificed their lives here, and most of those buried in the local cemetery remain unnamed -- a testament to the sacrifices made during the Long March.
This site struck a profound chord with Zhavier Harris, marketing and communications manager at the Springfield Urban League in the United States. He first visited China a decade ago for the Long March victory's 80th anniversary.
"The Long March is a universal story of perseverance," said Harris. "My ancestors fought for freedom, just as the Red Army strove for a better future. The struggles differ, but the core human pursuit is identical."
The Long March resonated strongly with Ha Thi Tuong Thu, deputy editor-in-chief of Vietnam Pictorial. Her grandfather, Vietnamese General Hong Shui, was among the few foreign soldiers who joined the march.
"During his long absence, his mother held annual memorial rites for him, believing he had died. What sustained him was unwavering trust -- faith that he was following a righteous path," Thu said.
Thu added she had always been fascinated by the revolutionary activities of her grandfather, and that she found this trip rewarding and has planned to bring her children to Guizhou in January 2027 to retrace the Long March.
Beyond its historical significance, the Long March has left living, tangible legacies rooted in local livelihoods. The place names and local products passed down through generations carried local people's enduring memory of the Red Army.
In Qinggangpo Village, pomelo trees, known locally as "Red Army pomelos," are now laden with fruit. They traced their roots to a wounded Red Army soldier Song Jiatong who settled and recuperated here. The 1,900-mu (about 126.7-hectare) orchard is expected to register an output value of 1.2 million yuan (about 176,300 U.S. dollars) this year, fueling rural vitalization.
A similar heritage thrives in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, where traditional potato starch noodles are named "Red Army noodles," honoring techniques the Red Army taught local residents before.
"One generation plants trees; the next enjoys the shade," said Belgian media professional Romuald Bronchart. "The true essence of the Long March lies in empowering people -- a vision China continues to fulfill through infrastructure building and inclusive development."
William N. Brown, a U.S. professor at Xiamen University, has witnessed China's rapid development firsthand. Having lived in China for nearly 40 years, he first traveled to Guizhou in 1994, when unpaved roads and missing river crossings isolated mountain communities. Pointing to a towering bridge spanning a valley in Qinggangpo Village, Brown highlighted the region's staggering leap in connectivity.
"The most important change is invisible: people have gained confidence and self-respect," he said. "Thirty years ago, many thought prosperity would take 50 years to achieve -- they never expected to see it in their own lifetime."
In the provincial capital city of Guiyang, the group toured a Long March digital experience center, where immersive simulations of snow-capped mountains recreated the Red Army's harsh trials.
"This is not forgotten history, but living heritage," said Elsbeth van Paridon, a Dutch Sinologist and reporter with Beijing Review, noting the large number of young student participants.
As the Guizhou leg of the journey drew to a close, Ferguson summarized his conclusions. "The courage and resilience forged on the Long March continue to propel China forward," he said. "China's leap from poverty to the world's second-largest economy is a new Long March. Retracing this path teaches us one truth: keep moving forward, no matter what lies ahead." ■
