Recently, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Birce, an African television anchor who works in the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area (BDA), retraced the Long March.

He told the story of the Long March from the perspective of international friends by revisiting the history of the miraculous Long March.

Birce's journey to repeat the Long March was jointly produced by the BDA and StarTimes Group. It will be broadcast in more than 30 countries and regions in China and Africa in the form of a documentary, titled 25,000 Li.

Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]

Starting from the BDA, Birce focused on five historical locations in the Long March, including Jiangxi’s Ruijin city, the starting point of the Long March, and Jinggangshan city, where the rest of the Nanchang Uprising Army met with the Autumn Harvest Uprising Force – helping determine the fate of the Chinese Revolution. 

He also visited Quanzhou of Guangxi province, where the Battle of the Xiang River took place, Zunyi city of Guizhou province, where the leadership of Mao Zedong was established in the Party Central Committee, and Wuqi county of Shaanxi province, where the Long March victoriously concluded.

Red Army Long March Departure Memorial Hall [Photo/kfqgw.beijing.gov.cn]

Along the way, Birce walked through the historic sites of the Long March, visited the Long March Memorial Exhibition Hall, listened to the history told by professional scholars and residents, and experienced the local culture. 

In the exhibition hall in Yan'an, Birce saw a leather belt. When he learned the story behind the belt, he was deeply shocked. 

He remarked, "There was a severe shortage of supplies during the Long March. The Red Army soldiers had no food and were extremely hungry. At that time, they cooked and ate the belt section by section. This is unimaginable for me. I would never understand that period of history unless I came here."

"It's so interesting to chat with the locals at every historical site of the Long March. Everyone has a lot of stories to tell me, which makes me feel like I lived in 1935. The soldiers of the Red Army had their own families, but for justice and the country they gave up everything, this touches me a lot. The Chinese Red Army is remarkable," said Birce while learning about the troops' heroic deeds.

Birce also called on friends and fans around him to learn from the spirit of the Long March. “The Chinese Red Army joined hands and fought for the country. The spirit of the Long March still exists. I call on my friends and fans, please take some time to learn from the spirit of the Long March. This is quite heroic, everyone needs to know about it," he added.