China Launches Journalists Retrace Long March Initiative

China’s Central Propaganda Department officially launched a major themed journalism initiative on September 8 in Yudu County, Jiangxi Province, sending reporters to retrace the historic routes of the Red Army’s Long March as the nation marks the 90th anniversary of the campaign’s victory. The initiative, titled “Continuing the Long March Spirit, Striving on the Road to Rejuvenation — Journalists Retrace the Long March,” was announced by Xinhua News Agency.

Context: The Long March and Its Legacy

The Long March was a strategic military retreat undertaken by the Chinese Communist Party’s Red Army between October 1934 and October 1936 to escape encirclement by Nationalist forces. Approximately 86,000 Red Army soldiers departed from Yudu County in October 1934, crossing the Yudu River to begin what would become a roughly 12,500-kilometer journey through some of China’s most treacherous terrain. The First, Second, and Fourth Front Armies, along with the 25th Army, traversed 14 provinces before converging in Gansu and Ningxia in October 1936, preserving the core of the Communist forces.

Yudu County holds particular historical significance as the primary departure point of the Central Red Army, making it a fitting location for the launch ceremony of this commemorative journalism campaign.

The 2026 Initiative

According to Xinhua’s report, the interview routes will primarily follow the path taken by the First Front Army while also covering the routes of the Second Front Army, Fourth Front Army, and the 25th Army. The geographic scope spans 15 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities: Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Chongqing, Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Ningxia, and Shaanxi.

The initiative aims to deeply explore red historical resources, revisit the arduous and glorious journey of the Red Army Long March, showcase the tremendous changes along the Long March route over the past 90 years, and guide cadres and the masses to carry forward the great Long March spirit and walk the new era Long March road.

In a companion effort, the National Radio and Television Administration will organize national radio and television media to coordinate an all-media report titled “Passing the Torch — Our Long March Stories.”

Broader Commemorative Framework

The September 8 launch is part of a year-long program of activities commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Long March victory. In May, the Central Propaganda Department and 20 other departments jointly issued a notice for the 2026 “Strong Country, Revitalization Has Me” campaign, which explicitly includes organizing Long March-related activities as part of the broader national education effort, as reported by People’s Daily.

Earlier commemorative events throughout 2026 have included a special exhibition at the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the CPC in Shanghai, a themed concert at the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, a 10-episode AI-assisted documentary from CCTV, and a national art exhibition at the Capital Museum in Beijing running from August 26 to October 12.

A Precedent from 2019

This initiative follows a similar campaign organized in 2019 to mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. That earlier effort, launched simultaneously at four locations in Jiangxi and Fujian, drew more than 500 journalists from over 30 media outlets, according to China Military Online. The 2019 campaign ran from June to August and concluded in Huining, Gansu Province.

At the 2019 launch, Huang Kunming, then a Politburo member and head of the Central Propaganda Department, urged journalists to “pursue their original aspiration, vigorously promote the great Long March spirit forged with life and blood, and profoundly reveal where the red regime came from and how New China was established,” as documented by the China Writers Association.

The 2019 campaign generated widespread public engagement, with reports on stories such as the “Half a Quilt” tale resonating deeply with audiences and reinforcing the Communist Party’s narrative of serving the people, as noted by China News Service.

Analysis and Implications

The timing of this launch — approximately one month before October 2026, which marks the exact 90th anniversary of the Long March’s conclusion — suggests the journalism campaign is designed to build momentum toward the main anniversary commemorations. The choice of Yudu as the launch site reinforces the historical narrative, connecting the original departure point of the Central Red Army to China’s contemporary development journey.

The “Long March spirit” occupies a central place in Chinese Communist Party ideology, encompassing ideals of perseverance, sacrifice, unity, and revolutionary optimism. Chinese leaders have repeatedly invoked this spirit as inspiration for national development, with President Xi Jinping framing China’s ongoing journey toward national rejuvenation as a “new Long March.”

The initiative also reflects a broader pattern of using commemorative journalism to connect revolutionary history with contemporary policy priorities, including rural revitalization, regional development, and the promotion of patriotic education.

What to Watch For

As the reporting teams fan out across the 15 provinces over the coming weeks, observers will be watching for how the coverage frames the relationship between the Long March’s revolutionary legacy and China’s current development trajectory. The companion all-media campaign from national broadcasters is expected to amplify the initiative’s reach, potentially generating significant public engagement as the October anniversary approaches.

The launch also signals that commemorative activities will intensify in the weeks ahead, with additional events likely scheduled to mark the 90th anniversary of the Long March’s conclusion in October.