From October 16 to 19, 1934, a red army of 86000 people under the leadership of the CPC crossed the Yudu River in southern Jiangxi and launched a great expedition. One month after the departure of the First Front Army (Central Red Army) of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the 25th Red Army left the Dabie Mountains; In March of the second year, the Fourth Red Army crossed the Jialing River to the west; In November, the Red Second and Sixth Army Groups (later forming the Red Second Front Army) withdrew from Xiangxi and began strategic shifts one after another. Two years later, four Red Army teams, which had almost died, finally converged on the Loess Plateau and gathered at the front line of resistance against Japan and national salvation. This great expedition has an immortal name: the Long March. This is a great expedition of ideals and beliefs, a great expedition of testing truth, a great expedition of awakening the people, and a great expedition of opening up new horizons. This earth shaking revolutionary feat is a magnificent epic written by the CPC and the Red Army, and a towering monument in the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. For the past 90 years, the epic of humanity, the Long March, full of ideals and dedication, composed with will and courage, has profoundly influenced China, shaken the world, and shone with light. The road through Xiongguan is as solid as iron, and now I am stepping forward from scratch. Towards the grand vision of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, the CPC has led the Chinese people to forge ahead with one heart and forge ahead on the new Long March. On October 1, 2024, in Beijing, our party demonstrated a fearless spirit of great practice and a great creative spirit of rebirth from the ashes in the face of turbulent clouds and stormy waves. Through blood and fire, we forged a revolutionary path towards rebirth and victory. The atmosphere of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in Tiananmen Square, with red flags fluttering and flowers blooming, is solemn and warm. Under the autumn sky, the Tiananmen Gate Tower stands particularly majestic and magnificent. This tower, which has experienced more than 600 years of vicissitudes, has witnessed the humiliation and awakening of the Chinese nation, and also witnessed the only way for the CPC to lead the Chinese people to forge a national rejuvenation of socialism with Chinese characteristics 75 years after the founding of New China. Looking back at the great expedition 90 years ago at this moment, we are more deeply aware that the CPC led the Red Army from the muddy path and led the people of the country to victory. The victory of the Long March is the victory of direction and path. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, emphasized at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March that the process of the Long March is not only a process of defeating the enemy, winning victory, and achieving strategic goals, but also a process of connecting reality, innovating theories, and exploring revolutionary paths. In the face of turbulent clouds and raging waves, our party has demonstrated a fearless spirit of great practice and a great spirit of creation, forging a revolutionary path towards rebirth and victory through blood and fire. This is a path to truth - "This gray white two-story brick and wood structure witnessed an important turning point in the history of our party - the Zunyi Conference." At the site of the Zunyi Conference, high school volunteer guide Zhang Ruining earnestly explained to tourists. The Zunyi Conference, held at the critical moment when the Chinese revolution was on the brink of extinction, saved the Party, the Red Army, and the Chinese revolution. After the Long March, the Party and the Red Army were not weak, but stronger, because our Party found the correct path of the Chinese revolution and the correct theory to guide this path. The victory of the Long March further made our party realize that only by combining the basic principles of Marxism Leninism with the specific realities of the Chinese revolution, and independently solving major problems of the Chinese revolution, can we lead the revolutionary cause to victory. This is the truth drawn from the lessons of blood and the test of struggle. This is a path that showcases the shared hardships of the Party and the people - a history of the Red Army's Long March, which reflects the interdependence between the Party and the people in life and death. In Shazhou Village, Rucheng County, Hunan Province, three female Red Army soldiers stayed overnight at the home of elderly Xu Jiexiu. Before leaving, they cut off half of their only blanket and left it for the elderly. The old man said, what is a Communist Party? The Communist Party is someone who has their own blanket, but also needs to cut off half of it to give to the people. The Long March of thousands of miles was sent by the people one journey at a time, and the victory of the revolution was achieved by the people with all their support Liu Yingqi, an old Red Army soldier who had crossed the snowy mountains and grasslands three times, said this in an interview with Xinhua News Agency before his death. It is the fundamental guarantee for the CPC and the Red Army to win the Long March and for us to overcome all difficulties and risks. This is a path of exploring and opening up new horizons - from southeast to northwest, from red soil to yellow soil, every step on the 'Red Ribbon' is creating history. The Red Army, which was deemed by the Kuomintang to be "displaced thousands of miles and restricted from all directions," has embarked on a new path of "survival to the death. On December 27, 1935, Mao Zedong said in "On Strategies against Japanese Imperialism" that "as soon as the Long March is completed, a new situation will begin." On the way to the Long March, our party successfully linked the solution to the survival crisis with the rescue of the national crisis, linked the general direction of the Long March with the establishment of anti Japanese forward positions, realized the transformation from the domestic revolutionary war to the anti Japanese national war, and laid a solid foundation for the victory of the Chinese people's anti Japanese war, and then the victory of the new democratic revolution. Starting from the end of the Long March, our Party led the Chinese people to launch a magnificent new picture of the Chinese revolution. Looking back on the Long March, we can draw a fundamental experience and enlightenment, that is, only by adhering to the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality, and adhering to the leadership of the CPC, can the Chinese people continue to win and move towards the bright future. Forge an army - "The Long March trained the people's army, honed the people's army, achieved the people's army, and opened a new starting point for the development of the people's army." In the golden autumn season, at the foot of Mount Hua, on the banks of the Wei River. The officers and soldiers of the Red Company of a certain brigade of the 83rd Group Army stationed here once again came to the Company History Museum to appreciate the spirit of the Long March and discuss the mission of building a strong military. During the Long March, the officers and soldiers of the "Red Company", which pioneered the practice of "building branches on the company" in our army, faced the tests of life and death, right and wrong time and time again, always closely following the Party Central Committee and firmly following Chairman Mao. During the Zunyi Conference in January 1935, the company was designated to undertake the task of guarding the conference and safeguarding the security of the Party Central Committee. In the museum, there is a collection of enamel mottled "red vegetable dishes". In 1935, Chairman Mao used it to dine with the officers and soldiers of the company. Nowadays, the "Red Plate" of the "Red Company" has been replaced by a separate plate, the "Five Vegetables and One Soup" has replaced the red rice and pumpkin soup, and the "Iron Foot Plate" has become a new type of armored equipment. But the red gene of the 'red chain' remains unchanged. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March that the victory of the Long March has inspired us that the people's army is the foundation of revolution and the hope of the nation, and the absolute leadership of the Party over the army is the fundamental guarantee for the people's army to win victory. The Long March trained the people's army, honed the people's army, achieved the success of the people's army, and opened a new starting point for the development of the people's army. The people's army, which has come from the Long March, always adheres to the command of the Party. On the Long March, the Red Army often faced life and death tests: almost every day there was a battle, bombs could drop from their heads at any moment, and they often faced enemies who were ten times their size, chasing and blocking them... After the bloody battle on the Xiang River, the Central Red Army's strength sharply decreased from 86000 at the time of departure to over 30000. No matter how great the sacrifice, it cannot stop us from moving forward Tang Jin, a soldier from the Fourth Regiment of the Second Division of the First Army of the Red Army who fought from southern Jiangxi to northern Shaanxi, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency, "Because we have the ideals of the Red Army, because we have the strong leadership of the Party." It was precisely because of adhering to the Party's leadership that the Red Army defeated the Nationalist Party's encirclement and blockade, overcame the harsh natural environment, and also defeated Zhang Guotao's separatism. The fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute leadership over the military are the political characteristics and fundamental advantages that completely distinguish the People's Army from all old armies. In the golden autumn of 2014, President Xi personally made decisions and led the convening of the Military Political Work Conference in Gutian, focusing on the ideological and political construction of the military by the Party under new historical conditions, and solemnly proposed the theme of our military's political work in the era. In the early summer of 2024, President Xi Jinping led senior military officials to Yan'an and held a political work conference of the Central Military Commission, emphasizing the need to adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the military and implement the new era's political and military building strategy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party has led the people's army to promote political rectification and training with the spirit of rectification, firmly adhering to the comprehensive strict governance of the Party and the military. The determination and strength of the Party have been unprecedented, and historic achievements have been made in the political construction of the military in the new era. The people's army that has come from the Long March has always insisted on winning battles. The Red Army led by the Party is all heroic men General Wang Dinglie recalled during his lifetime that during the Long March, he boldly said, "There were obstacles in the front, pursuit behind, no food, and a lack of ammunition. We still maintained a high fighting spirit and won one victory after another." They seized Loushan Pass, flew Luding Bridge, climbed snow capped mountains over grasslands, and broke through the treacherous Lazikou Pass, opening up a path to victory. Ma Zhixuan, a 106 year old veteran of the Red Army, has visited grasslands three times and climbed snow capped mountains two times. During wartime, he served as the commander of the main force regiment. He said, "Winning battles is the core, reflecting the fundamental functions of the military and the fundamental direction of military construction." Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the people's army has firmly grasped the preparation for war, adhered to combat effectiveness as the only fundamental standard, expanded and deepened military struggle preparations, strengthened practical military training, and accelerated the improvement of the ability to win informationized wars. The people's army, which has come from the Long March, has always adhered to a good work style. During the Long March, the leaders of the Party and ordinary soldiers depended on each other for life and death, and were as close as brothers and sisters; The Red Army commander was at the forefront, charging forward. Nie Rongzhen, who served as the political commissar of the First Corps of the Red Army, recalled before his death that the Red Army fought against cadres and members of the Communist Party. After each battle, the number of casualties among party members often accounts for 25% or even 50% of the total casualties. The Red Army officers and soldiers share the same aspirations, maintain strict discipline, have a tenacious style, and are invincible in battle. A good work style can shape a heroic army, while a loose work style can bring down a victorious army Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi Jinping have focused on maintaining the nature, purpose, and essence of the People's Liberation Army, vigorously implementing comprehensive and strict governance of the Party and the military, deeply rectifying the "four undesirable practices", and achieving significant results in the construction of a clean and honest military style and the fight against corruption. The political ecology of our military has fundamentally improved, and the new style and righteousness of the army have continued to rise. On the New Long March, the People's Army is advancing the modernization of national defense and the military with the spirit of seizing every minute, and taking on the significant responsibility of safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. To forge a spirit - "The Long March, a great feat in human history, has left us the most valuable spiritual wealth, which is the great Long March spirit forged by the CPC and Red Army officers and men with their lives and blood." Yudu, Jiangxi Province, the starting point of the Long March of the Central Red Army. The final of the 4th China University Flag Guard Team Exhibition Competition will be held here from October 11th to 13th, 2024. The combination of exhibition competition and 'retracement of the Long March' is a patriotic education