Two Major Long March Exhibitions Open in Beijing with Rare Artifacts

Inside the Central Archives Exhibition

The “Great Expedition” exhibition is jointly hosted by the Central Archives and the Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition Hall. It features more than 230 precious Long March archival documents, primarily from the collections of the Central Archives. The exhibition is divided into five distinct units, tracing the historical trajectory of the Red Army from its departure in Jiangxi through its strategic maneuvers across the country.

The first three units focus on the Central Red Army’s historical path, highlighting key events such as the departure from Ruijin, the breakthrough of four blockade lines, the troop transfer to Guizhou, the Zunyi Conference, the crossing of Chishui River, the clever crossing of the Jinsha River, the capture of the Luding Bridge, the climbing of snow-capped mountains, the trekking across grasslands, and the arrival at Wuqizhen. According to the exhibition organizers, the Zunyi Conference marked a life-and-or-death turning point in party history by effectively establishing Mao Zedong’s leadership position in the party and the Red Army.

The fourth unit shifts focus to the strategic coordination of other military branches, documenting the operational footprints of the Red Fourth Front Army, the Red 25th Army, and the Red 2nd and 6th Corps during operations such as the capture of Baozuo, the battle at Duzhuxian, and maneuvers in the Wumeng Mountains. The final unit centers on the eventual force reunions, highlighting the Shaanxi-Gansu base area as the sole surviving complete revolutionary base of the late agrarian revolution war period.

Special thematic sections titled “Two-Fifth Thousand Miles,” “How the World Learned About the Long March,” and “The Long March in Editions” display international reports and research. Notably, the 1937 fair copy manuscript draft of “The Red Army’s Long March” makes its public debut in this section.

Sichuan’s Relic Exhibition Brings Highland History to Beijing

Running concurrently, the “Snowy Mountains and Grasslands” thematic exhibition is jointly organized by the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration and the Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition Hall. This marks the first time an original Sichuan-curated Long March cultural relics exhibition has traveled to Beijing. Sichuan served as a critical transit region during the Long March, witnessing major historical events such as the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, the Yihai Alliance, and the battle at Luding Bridge.

Structured around three units—”Climbing Snowy Mountains,” “Crossing Grasslands,” and “Casting Monuments”—the exhibition puts artifacts at the center of the narrative. It aggregates 273 pieces or sets of exhibits from 17 museum and archival institutions, including 38 precious cultural relics. Real objects on display include spiked cloth shoes worn by Red Army soldiers, half a leather belt, a miniature party flag, and grain-harvesting certificates, paired with memoirs and oral history materials.

Items such as relics from Jiajin Mountain, survey specimens from the Baozuo battle site, and the identity certificate of female Red Army soldier Wang Quanying are displayed publicly for the first time. The exhibition features immersive physical reconstructions of the Jiajin Mountain pass and high-altitude Red Army martyr graves to integrate artifacts with historical context.

Selection and Future Accessibility

Both exhibitions earned selection to the official promotion list for commemorative exhibitions marking the 90th anniversary of the Long March, a joint initiative released by the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Details on organizers and artifacts in the historical exhibitions

Who organized the “Great Expedition” archives exhibition? The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Central Archives and the Chinese Communist Party History Exhibition Hall.

How many artifacts are featured in the Sichuan relic exhibition? The “Snowy Mountains and Grasslands” exhibition features 273 pieces or sets of exhibits drawn from 17 museum and archival institutions, including 38 precious cultural relics.

What makes the current exhibitions notable regarding public access? Several historical documents and artifacts, including the 1937 manuscript draft of “The Red Army’s Long March,” Jiajin Mountain relics, and identity documents, are being exhibited to the general public for the very first time.

What historical themes are explored through the Sichuan exhibition’s narrative units? The exhibition uses “Climbing Snowy Mountains,” “Crossing Grasslands,” and “Casting Monuments” to trace the Red Army’s passage through the high-altitude terrain of western Sichuan.