A ceremony commemorating the 76th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' (CPV) entry into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is held in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province on October 25, 2026. Photo: Xinhua

"One backpack, one pickaxe, 80 rounds of ammunition, a rifle and a field radio. By the time we had shouldered our packs, the bridge over the Yalu River had already been bombed. We built a pontoon bridge and ran across the river," said Zhou Youchun, a veteran of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), as he recalled the perilous river crossing faced by Chinese soldiers. Their wartime experiences are compiled in a documentary called Remembering 1950.

The clip from the 2021 documentary was shared by the People's Daily across social media platforms on October 25, the 76th anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' (CPV) entry into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, triggering public revisits to this history. Set to the refrain of a well-known Chinese song, "Proudly, fervently, cross the Yalu River," the clip brought the stories of young soldiers to a new generation as commemorative events were held to mark the anniversary.

In Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, a ceremony was held on Sunday to commemorate the anniversary. Participants observed a moment of silence for the heroes and presented flower baskets at a monument to CPV martyrs, paying tribute to those who laid down their lives for their country and people.

On Saturday, China's top political advisor Wang Huning accompanied Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, on a visit to Dandong in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Wang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, greeted Kim at the square of the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea and accompanied him to present a flower basket to the memorial tower. Inside the memorial hall, Kim viewed historical artifacts showcasing the bravery of the martyrs and the side-by-side fighting of Chinese and DPRK soldiers, and gifted a historical photo bearing his personal inscription to the hall.

During their meeting, Wang said on the occasion of the 76th anniversary of the CPV's entry into the DPRK to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, General Secretary Kim Jong-un's special trip to Dandong fully demonstrates how much the party and government of the DPRK value the China-DPRK friendship forged with blood.

Ahead of the anniversary, more than 80 representatives from the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK and Chinese communities and organizations in the country took part in commemorative visits to Pyongwon and Sinyang counties in South Pyongan Province in the DPRK on Wednesday and Thursday, paying tribute to CPV martyrs and honoring their sacrifice.

On Sunday, the state Korean Central News Agency of the DPRK published an article titled "Heroic Feats Performed by CPV Soldiers in Korean War," describing China-DPRK friendship as "invincible" and united with "comradely friendship and bloody ties in the struggle against foreign aggressors." The report paid tribute to Chinese soldiers who fought in the war, highlighting the heroism of martyrs including Mao Anying, Yang Liandi, Qiu Shaoyun and Sun Zhanyuan.

When spirit outmatches material might

At the Memorial Hall of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in Dandong, figures on display highlight the vast industrial gap between China and the US in 1950. The US produced 87.72 million tons of steel that year, ranking first in the world, while China produced just 606,000 tons.

Despite such enormous disparity in resources and the difficult conditions, the CPV fought alongside the army and civilians of the DPRK, launching a series of offensives, thwarting the US-led campaigns, and ultimately securing victory in the war.

Gong Shaoshan, deputy director of the memorial hall, told Xinhua that the bravery of CPV soldiers in life-and-death battles embodied the idea that "less steel, greater spirit" could prevail over "more steel, less spirit." More than 300,000 soldiers were recognized as heroes, and over 190,000 Chinese volunteer soldiers gave their lives.

"The spirit forged in the war is a lasting legacy," Da Zhigang, a research fellow at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. "The victory shattered the myth of the invincibility of hegemonic powers, safeguarded the security of the newly founded People's Republic of China and helped secure a peaceful environment for national reconstruction and development. It also laid a spiritual foundation for the Chinese nation to stand on its own feet and pursue self-reliance."

Da said that the legacy remains relevant today as China navigates a complex international environment. It encourages the country to face challenges with courage and resolve, reinforces national unity in overcoming difficulties, and strengthens China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. It also serves as a reminder that peace has been hard-won and that China remains committed to peaceful development.

Bridging history and shared future

Shared memories of the war remain a foundation of China-DPRK friendship, while practical cooperation, including the new Yalu River Bridge, gives it fresh momentum, Da told the Global Times. He noted that continued exchanges and cooperation could help sustain the two countries' traditional friendship and contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

During his talks with Kim, Wang said that the opening of the new China-DPRK Yalu River Bridge can be taken as an opportunity to expand personnel exchanges and trade cooperation and better benefit the two peoples. He called for strengthening strategic communication and collaboration to foster a peaceful and stable external environment for safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development.

The new China-DPRK Yalu River Bridge officially opened to traffic on October 15. The cable-stayed bridge over the Yalu River serves as a cross-border transport link between Dandong and the city of Sinuiju in North Pyongan Province of the DPRK, Xinhua reported.

"Seventy-six years on, the bridges over the Yalu River will always remember," Xinhua wrote in the headline of a commemorative article on Sunday. Echoing this sentiment, Lü Chao, an expert on East Asian studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the new China-DPRK Yalu River Bridge links past and present, transforming the wartime lifeline into a corridor for peacetime connectivity and economic cooperation.

Lü said that the bridge would improve cross-border logistics, reduce transport and customs clearance costs, and facilitate trade in agricultural products, light industrial goods and machinery. The bridge could also support economic growth in border areas, including Dandong, and create opportunities for cross-border industrial cooperation and tourism.

The improved connectivity could further deepen industrial cooperation and diversify bilateral economic ties beyond the trade of goods, the expert noted. 

Decades on, the bridges across the Yalu River carry echoes of history and hopes for economic growth, more exchanges, and peace. The CPV's battle cry, "Proudly, fervently," still rings out across generations as a call to press ahead with courage and resolve, and to cherish the hard-won momentum for development and peace.