The Long March is not merely a feat of military endurance, but a living philosophy of resilience and strategic foresight. The author traces how this epic journey continues to inform China’s global vision, offering timeless lessons for tackling today’s interconnected crises.
An aerial photo of the downtown area of Yan’an in Shaanxi Province.
Shortly after arriving in Beijing for the first time in September 1986, I went to visit the Great Wall. The iconic structure, stretching more than 21,000 kilometers, often brings to mind the famous saying: “不到长城非好汉” (“He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true hero”). The phrase comes from “Mount Liupan – to the Tune of Qing Ping Yue,” a poem written by Chairman Mao Zedong in October 1935 during the most critical stage of the Long March. It evokes heroism, perseverance, and strength of will required to overcome immense challenges – qualities that have been manifested again and again in China’s modernization drive.
Among the visitors on the Great Wall that day, I came across a group of three young Chinese military personnel who readily agreed to pose for a photo with me – my first photo in China. At the time, such encounters were still rare for both foreign visitors and Chinese alike, as the country was only just beginning to open itself to the outside world.
I deeply cherished my time studying contemporary Chinese history at Peking University – where Mao once worked and learned about Marxist theories in 1918 and 1919, almost two decades before emerging as the core helmsman of the Long March. The 90th anniversary of this epic trek is being widely commemorated in China throughout 2026, serving as a prism through which we can understand the foundational spirit of the dynamic nation.
The Long March – the strategic redeployment by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army between 1934 and 1936, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) – streached over 12,000 kilometers.
Beginning in Jiangxi Province after the CPC forces broke through the Chiang Kai-shek-led Nationalist encirclement, the main Red Army column – around 80,000 troops – trekked across some of China’s harshest terrain. By the time the First Front Army reached northern Shaanxi in 1935, only about 8,000 remained. Yet their survival ensured the continuity of the Communist movement in China and ultimately shaped the path that led to the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Military historians have often compared Mao’s strategic thinking with that of classical and modern theorists. Sun Tzu, the ancient strategist who lived between the 6th and 5th century B.C. and author of The Art of War, remains the most influential figure in Eastern strategic thought.
During the Long March, Mao masterfully integrated the ancient stratagems of Sun Tzu with the bitter lessons of 19th-century imperialist incursions, 20th-century geopolitical realities and, above all, the exigencies of local terrain and populations. The campaign thus endures as an intrinsically Chinese masterstroke. The campaign was first immortalized internationally in the book Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow, published in London in 1937.
Snow’s reporting introduced foreign readers to the personalities, organization and aspirations of the Chinese Communist movement.
Military analysts later recognized the Long March as more than a relocation. The Long March was lauded by the eminent British military theorist Basil Liddell Hart for its brilliant execution of “indirect action,” actually a philosophical concept of Sun Tzu, emphasizing mobility, flexibility and psychological advantage. Decades later, the American journalist Harrison Salisbury, retraced large portions of the route for his book The Long March: The Untold Story, vividly documenting the physical and human scale of the journey.
The legacy of the Long March also gave rise to what became known as the “Yan’an spirit.” In 1937, the CPC moved its headquarters to the cave dwellings of Yan’an in Shaanxi Province. From this unlikely base, the Party rebuilt its forces, developed its political culture, and continued both the struggle against the Kuomintang forces and the resistance against Japanese invasion. Yan’an became the strategic and ideological cradle from which the final push toward national victory eventually emerged.
Seen in this light, the Long March transcends the narrative of a historic military relocation. It represents a broader testament to resilience, adaptive strategy and longterm political vision.
Visitors walk through the Yan’an Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Shaanxi Province.
How might this legacy be interpreted today? And how does China’s contemporary call for building a community with a shared future for humanity reflect an evolution of that historical spirit onto the global stage?
These questions are being deliberated by policymakers in China today, as well as by global observers assessing the initiatives of major powers in a critical time for humanity, as it grapples with multidimensional crises.
Part of the answer lies in the enduring philosophical influence of The Art of War. Despite its title, the work emphasizes knowledge, planning and foresight rather than confrontation. At its core is the idea that wise strategy can transform rivalry into a different kind of interaction – one that avoids unnecessary conflict and where meticulous planning, strategic insight, and wise, original foresight are intertwined.
But to what end? Primarily, to foster a win-win outcome by contributing to social justice, safeguarding the international system, and saving the planet from destruction. China’s policy discourse increasingly emphasizes a “people-centered” approach, linking domestic development goals with broader global initiatives aimed at poverty reduction, infrastructure connectivity, health cooperation and environmental protection.
As for the democratization of the international system, one can point to the series of global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping – the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative – all of which emphasize national sovereignty and genuine multilateralism, aiming to amplify the voice of the Global South in institutions such as the WTO, the IMF, and the United Nations.
China is moving beyond bloc politics to address global challenges.
The Yangtze River, which the Long March troops crossed on their way to the revolutionary base in 1935, is an excellent example. Five years ago, China started to implement a 10-year ban on all commercial fishing in the river basin. Early scientific observations have already reported signs of ecological recovery, including improvements in fish biomass and biodiversity. The policy has drawn international attention as a potential model for large-scale river restoration.
More than 90 years after Mao wrote of reaching the Great Wall as a symbol of determination in his “Mount Liupan – to the Tune of Qing Ping Yue,” humanity now faces its own collective tests, from climate pressures to technological disruption and geopolitical tension. In confronting them, the lesson of the Long March may not lie in its military dimension, but in its deeper message: perseverance, strategic patience, and the belief that even the most daunting journeys can reshape history.
At a time when global dialogue is increasingly necessary, revisiting that legacy may offer a reminder that resilience, cooperation, and longterm vision remain indispensable for the future of humanity. 
AUGUSTO SOTO is director of the Dialogue with China Project, distinguished by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and United Nations Global Experts Resource.
