That appeal continues today. Dutch sinologist Elsbeth van Paridon, who joined a group retracing the route this summer, said walking the route gave her a feeling similar to looking out over the beaches of Normandy and realizing what had happened there.

　　She noted that the former revolutionary sites along the route now also serve as ecological parks, becoming part of a broader tourism economy that supports local development.

　　"That is how you see the spirit of the Long March live on," she said.

　　This photo taken with a mobile phone shows William N. Brown, a U.S. professor at Xiamen University, taking photos in Qinggangpo Village of Zunyi City, southwest China"s Guizhou Province, June 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Si)

　　William N. Brown, a U.S. professor at Xiamen University who has lived in China for nearly 40 years, has retraced part of the route and witnessed the country"s transformation firsthand.

　　He first traveled to Guizhou in 1994, when unpaved roads and limited river crossings left mountain communities isolated. 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."

　　THE SAME ROAD, A TRANSFORMED CHINA

　　The changes are also visible in the country"s infrastructure. Roads now cut through mountains that Red Army soldiers once crossed on foot, while bridges span valleys and rivers that once posed major obstacles.