Chinese broadcaster CGTN has released a documentary titled “Breaking Through” to mark the 90th anniversary of the Long March’s completion, tracing the Red Army’s historic 1930s trek and examining how its enduring endurance mindset continues to shape China’s modern technological and industrial sectors.
In October 1934, 86,000 soldiers from the Central Red Army embarked on the arduous march following severe military setbacks, navigating hostile engagements, turbulent rivers, snow-covered mountains, and treacherous marshlands. Only about 8,000 troops survived to reach northern Shaanxi province in October 1935, before the army’s three primary branches formally converged in October 1936.
American journalist Edgar Snow, who met Mao Zedong and surviving participants in northwestern China 90 years ago, characterized the march in his writings:
A long and arduous journey, unprecedented in modern times.
Snow also emphasized the military scale of the event:
No matter what one thinks about the Reds and what they represent politically, no one can deny that the Long March they undertook was one of the extraordinary exploits of military history. Hannibal’s march across the Alps looks like a holiday excursion in comparison.
Modern Industrial Parallels
The documentary follows the original geographical path from Jiangxi to Shaanxi while examining how the event continues to resonate with contemporary Chinese citizens facing current challenges. The program concludes that the march’s most lasting legacy is reflected not primarily in physical monuments along the route, but in ongoing initiatives that influence both China and the wider world.
The production draws direct parallels between the perseverance of the marchers and present-day endeavors, including progress in China’s commercial space sector and the domestic electric vehicle battery industry. These contemporary sectors are portrayed as confronting challenges similar to those faced by the 1930s forces, driven by the necessity to overcome containment and forge new pathways.
