The river remains. For Xi, it was also a place from which to look ahead to China"s future.

　　"We came to this place to revisit what it was like when the Red Army set out," he told local people gathered nearby. "Today we are on a new journey -- to build a modern socialist country. We must carry on the work of those who came before us, gear up anew, and set out once more."

　　That new journey was unfolding against a vastly changed backdrop. When Xi visited Yudu, the nationwide campaign he had launched to combat poverty was entering its final stage.

　　It would culminate in the elimination of absolute poverty in a nation of 1.4 billion. Nearly 100 million rural residents were lifted out of poverty under Xi"s "targeted poverty alleviation" campaign, which mobilized the entire Party and the nation.

　　Xi announced the victory, as a key part of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, in 2021 when the CPC marked its centenary.

　　A drone photo taken on Oct. 2, 2026 shows tourists at a memorial hall marking the departure of the Long March by the Central Red Army in Yudu County, east China"s Jiangxi Province. (Photo by Zeng Xiaomao/Xinhua)

　　During his 2019 visit, Xi saw for himself whether the former revolutionary base areas were on track to meet their poverty-reduction targets.

　　At Sun"s home, he walked through the main hall to the backyard and checked the kitchen and the bedrooms. There was rice and cooking oil in the kitchen, and the bathroom was clean.

　　Xi asked about the family"s income and how Sun"s son and daughter-in-law made a living, where their children went to school, and what the school meals were like.

　　"By the time they grow up, we will have achieved the rejuvenation of our nation," Xi said, pointing to Sun"s two grandchildren.