NANCHANG, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- As the American journalist Edgar Snow put it: The Long March of the Chinese Red Army was an expedition beside which Hannibal's crossing of the Alps seemed a holiday excursion.
Amid this unimaginably arduous journey, Huang Zhen, then a young Red Army soldier, created hundreds of sketches on rough straw paper, using charcoal and stove soot. Most of these drawings were lost amid the flames of war. More than twenty of these sketches were preserved and included in a publication about the Long March.
Today, we use AI technology to animate these sketches. Through these raw yet authentic works, we glimpse that arduous and magnificent great expedition.
Crossing the Yudu River by Starlight: Under cover of darkness, the people of Yudu gave their boats to help the Red Army build pontoon bridges. In October 1934, some 86,000 Red Army soldiers crossed the Yudu River in east China's Jiangxi Province, embarking on a grueling 12,500-kilometer journey.Comrade Lin Boqu: At 48, Lin Boqu carried a storm lantern and leaned on a bamboo pole as he marched at night.The Great Victory at Zunyi: After a major victory at Zunyi, the Red Army treated captured enemy soldiers well.A Woman of the Miao Ethnic Group: The Red Army respected Miao customs, and the Miao people responded to this goodwill with labor and support.A Destitute Family on the Sichuan-Yunnan Border: Huang recorded the profound suffering of a poor family. Deeply shaken, he wrote across the top in large characters: "A fact I will never forget."A Guide of the Yi Ethnic Group: A Yi headman agreed to guide the Red Army. The Red Army gave him a gun, and he was absolutely delighted.The Red Army's Yi Guerrilla Unit: On May 22, 1935, Red Army Commander Liu Bocheng and a Yi chieftain swore a blood oath of alliance by Yihai Lake. Liu presented the chieftain with a unit flag and formally established the Chinese Red Army Yi People's Detachment.Anshunchang: In May 1935, the Red Army reached Anshunchang, an important ferry crossing on the Dadu River. On May 25, the Red Army launched a forced crossing under dense enemy fire and successfully made it ashore.Luding Bridge: On May 29, 1935, the Red Army launched the battle to seize Luding Bridge. Commandos braved intense enemy fire and advanced along the suspended iron chains toward the opposite bank, quickly wiping out the bridge defenders.A Night in the Forest: On a cold night in a dense forest, the soldiers slept back-to-back, huddled together, enduring the long night.Crossing the Jiajin Mountain: The Red Army braved the year-round snows of the Jiajin Mountain, the first high alpine pass on the Long March.Joy After Crossing the Snow Mountains: After crossing the snow mountains, the soldiers laughed and sang.In a Tibetan Village: The Red Army entered Tibetan areas and saw the harsh lives of the serfs.A Yak: Yaks, the partners of the plateau, helped the Red Army carry supplies and cross the wilderness.Grinding Highland Barley: Before crossing the marshy grassland, the troops prepared food, assembling stone mills on the spot and grinding highland barley through the night.Baking Cakes: Highland-barley cakes were the most precious ration for crossing the grassland, a hope for survival.Carrying Rations into the Marshland: Soldiers carried rations and stepped into the vast, muddy and treacherous marshy grasslands.Camping in the Marshland: Cold rain soaked the wasteland. The soldiers camped in the wet open, and many soldiers were left behind forever in the grassland.Marching Through the Marshland: Amid hunger, cold and mud, the clatter of the cook squad's pots and pans was a living source of strength for the column.Comrade Dong Zhentang: Dong Zhentang led the Fifth Army Corps as rearguard, protecting the main force as it advanced.Reaching Hadapu: After crossing the Min Mountains, the Red Army reached Hadapu, where they learned of the base area in northern Shaanxi and found their way forward.
Producers: Wang Jianhua, Li Xingwen
Coordinators: Wang Qingqin, Hao Yalin, Yu Xianhong
