China"s operational high-speed rail network has surpassed 50,000 kilometers, accounting for over 70 percent of the world"s total. Its expressway network extends to nearly 200,000 kilometers, the largest in the world.

　　An aerial drone photo taken on July 31, 2026 shows the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in southwest China"s Guizhou Province. (Xinhua)

　　The transformation is particularly visible in Guizhou, where rugged karst terrain long made travel difficult. More than 32,000 bridges have been completed or are under construction in the province, including the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world"s highest bridge.

　　Communities along the historic route have also changed. In Guangxi"s Quanzhou, Guanyang and Xing"an counties, where the Battle of the Xiangjiang River was fought, more than 100 formerly impoverished villages have been lifted out of poverty through targeted poverty alleviation efforts.

　　Despite China"s profound transformation over recent decades, new challenges remain on its path toward Chinese modernization.

　　Wan Laizhi, a scholar of CPC history at Guangxi Normal University, said retracing the Long March route helps people appreciate how earlier generations faced adversity and held to their convictions, drawing strength and inspiration from their example to overcome challenges facing China today.

　　Chen Lipeng, a professor at Renmin University of China, said retracing the route can also help promote tourism in former revolutionary areas and support rural revitalization.

　　Tourists visit the historical site of the Zunyi Meeting in Zunyi City, southwest China"s Guizhou Province, Oct. 1, 2026. (Photo by Tian Jinhong/Xinhua)