An aerial photo shows the Chongqing Red Army Historical Museum in Chongqing's Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county. The house was once Huang Xuezhen's home. LIAO WEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

　　To mark the start of the autumn semester in early September, 630 primary and secondary school students and teachers from Chongqing's Pengshui Miao and Tujia autonomous county visited a century-old residence in the Huangjia township, where they listened to captivating stories of the Red Army's journey during the Long March.

　　The sanheyuan, or three-sided courtyard house, belonged to the late Huang Xuezhen who was a villager in the Xianfeng community of Huangjia. It has since been transformed into the Chongqing Red Army Historical Museum, where stories of perseverance are told through its preserved bricks and tiles, and most notably, a "Red Army message slip" that has been cherished for 92 years. "Through this firsthand visit, I understand the hardships during the Long March and the greatness of our predecessors, which deeply moved and inspired me," said Zou Siyi, a first-year secondary school student.

　　The Long March, a monumental 12,500-kilometer expedition, is a pivotal event in Chinese history. It not only marked the Communist Party of China's strategic transfer but also exemplified the profound bond between the army and the people. In 1934, when the Red Army passed through Huangjia, local villagers, misled by reactionary propaganda, sought refuge in the mountains. The soldiers, in need of sustenance, entered Huang's house, consumed half a jar of pickled vegetables and used some firewood. Before departing, they replenished the water tank, tidied up the room, and left six liters of soybeans as compensation, along with a note explaining their actions.