During the march, the troops crossed nearly 100 rivers, traversed vast grasslands once known as a "death trap," and climbed over more than 40 mountains, including more than 20 snow-capped mountains rising above 4,000 meters.

　　This military maneuver gave the CPC a new foothold in northwest China, from which it built up its strength, fought back against invading Japanese troops and eventually toppled the corrupt Kuomintang regime, leading to the founding of the People"s Republic of China in 1949.

　　An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 11, 2026 shows a view of the Caiwan Town of Quanzhou County of Guilin City, south China"s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

　　For Luo, retracing the route made the Red Army"s hardships that he had read about far more tangible.

　　In northwest Sichuan Province, he and his horse once sank into a marsh. As he struggled to free the animal, he thought about the soldiers who had crossed similar terrain decades earlier.

　　"I felt for them. They had so little food and equipment, yet they had to keep going through wind and hail. Some fell and never got up again," he said.

　　Luo is not alone. People from China and abroad continue to retrace the Long March, some covering the entire route and others exploring sections by car or on foot. For many, the journey offers a way to learn about the Red Army"s history, understand the CPC and see how China has changed over the decades.

　　The Long March"s reach has extended beyond China. First published in Britain in 1937, Snow"s "Red Star Over China" introduced the Chinese revolution to international readers. Decades later, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Harrison Salisbury retraced the route and described the Long March as "a great human epic."