TV segment
During the Long March, Tianquan County in western Sichuan served as an important rear base for the Red Army. In 1935, Red Army units established temporary headquarters there, setting up a military academy and a field hospital. The local population provided food, shelter, and labor, helping to care for the wounded and maintain supply lines.
TV segment
In late May 1935, the Central Red Army reached Mianning County in southwestern Sichuan. To escape the pursuing enemy forces and continue north, they first had to cross the rugged homeland of the Yi people, a minority group long oppressed by the Nationalist government and deeply hostile to outsiders. The only safe route was a hidden trail through Yi territory—but the Red Army needed the Yi's trust to make it through.
TV segment
In May 1935, after crossing the Jinsha River, the Central Red Army reached the Huili area in southern Sichuan. At this stage, the troops were exhausted from months of fighting and marching, and some commanders had even begun to doubt the strategy of mobile warfare adopted at the Zunyi Conference.
TV segment
Huili Ancient Town, at the southern tip of Sichuan Province, was established in the Western Han Dynasty (111 BCE). It was a key stop on the Southern Silk Road, an ancient trade route to Southeast Asia. Huili is the only well-preserved Ming Dynasty military guard town. The town is laid out around a Bell and Drum Tower (built 1723–1735), with streets leading to four gates. The northern gate tower, Gongji Tower (first built in 1398), has a rare structure: Yuan Dynasty foundations and Ming upper parts—known as "Yuan foundation with Ming superstructure."
TV segment
In the spring of 1935, the Central Red Army found itself trapped deep in the mountains of southwestern China. Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of enemy troops, they faced the possibility of total annihilation. To survive, they needed to break out. The decision was made to cross the Jinsha River, the upper stretch of the mighty Yangtze River.