A group of tourists at the Zunyi Conference Site in Guizhou Province Photo: CFP
Recently, the Chinese academies of social sciences of 14 provinces proposed together to apply for the route of the Long March to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site, calling upon related governmental departments and the public to participate in its promotion by building museums and helping the poor regions that line the route to develop.
The Long March started in October 1934 when the Kuomintang (KMT), which controlled the Chinese government at a time when China was struggling against foreign enemies, attempted to suppress the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s Red Army. The KMT, with its army of one million soldiers, tried to encircle and wipe out the Red Army of the CPC several times, under Chiang Kai-shek's policy of repressing domestic chaos first and then dealing with foreign conflicts.
The Fifth Encirclement Campaign by the KMT left the Red Army badly damaged, with no other choice but to make a strategic shift. The main forces of the Red Army had to transfer from the main revolutionary bases of the CPC in areas south of the Yangtze River to the revolutionary base in Shaanxi, which lay in a remote area in northern China.
The forces experienced innumerable trials and hardships, passing through 14 provinces, walking an estimated 12,500 kilometers across large areas of snow-covered mountains, highlands, marshy grasslands, permafrost zones and unpopulated expanses of land. The population of the main forces was drastically reduced from 300,000 to 25,000. In October, 1936, the main forces finally successfully met in Shaanxi, ending their two-year journey.
The Long March is regarded as a miracle in Chinese history and remains quite meaningful today, as it was during this treacherous trek that Mao Zedong's place as leader of the CPC was confirmed. Due to the route's pivotal role in the events that produced modern China, many Chinese hope to see it added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Luding Bridge in Sichuan Province, which the CPC crossed during the Long March Photo: CFP
Aside from the formal application, preparations for this possible honor include building culture centers that focus on the Long March of the Red Army and conducting plans to help develop the impoverished areas that currently surround the route that was taken by the troops. This plan was first put forward by the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, and, soon after, the Beijing-based journal Chinese Social Sciences Today reported that the proposal had won support from related organizations of 14 provinces.
According to the academies, Red tourism is expected to attract 800 million visitors in 2015, with an annual growth rate of 15 percent, making up a quarter of domestic tourists. It is estimated that Red tourism will bring a total income of 200 billion yuan (about $31.7 billion). But this figure will be larger if the Long March route succeeds in gaining the status of World Cultural Heritage Site.
Cultural and tourism scholar Pei Yu told the Yangcheng Evening News that the motivation for applying for the status is to further develop tourism in those historical areas. According to Pei, the application process is only a part of the larger goal of making these scenic spots, memorials and former residences along the route more beautiful and well-preserved. "To transform the current route into something that meets the standards of a World Heritage Site is the overall strategy which we have been working toward since 2005."
Although the Long March route is very significant for Chinese people, whether it will be recognized by the rest of the world remains uncertain, as it has a strong ideological stigma.
"The ideology is the biggest obstacle for the Long March route to become a World Cultural Heritage Site," said Yang Xiannong, an officer of the Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences.
Global Times