The First Crossing on the Long March

　　    The Monument Park of the First Crossing of the Central Red Army on the Long March: Located at Dongmen Ferry outside the east gate of Yudu County, Jiangxi Province. During the Fifth Counter-Encirclement Campaign, due to the erroneous leadership of the “Left” opportunism within the Party, the fierce “encirclement and suppression” by the reactionary Kuomintang army, and economic blockade, the Central Red Army fought bravely within the base area for a year but still failed to break the enemy’s encirclement. The base area shrank steadily, leading to the decision to relocate the Red Army. In October 1934, when the Central Red Army had gathered entirely near Yudu in southern Jiangxi, the order for the Long March was finally issued. According to instructions from the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic, from the evening of October 16 to 19, the Central Military Commission, the General Headquarters of the Red Army, central government agencies, as well as the First, Third, Fifth, Eighth, and Ninth Corps of the Red Army — totaling 86,000 people — crossed the Yudu River at various ferry points including Shanfengba and Huqiao in Zishan, Yudu County, as well as Dongmen, Nanmen, and Ximen in the county seat, Mengkou in Lu’ao, Liyu, Zhongbu, and Yuwengpu in Jingshi, embarking on the arduous journey of the Long March. The Central Military Commission, the Red Army headquarters, central government departments, and leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhang Wentian, and Bo Gu crossed the Yudu River at the Dongmen Ferry of the county seat to begin the Long March.     To commemorate the great achievements of the predecessors, the People’s Government of Yudu County built this 3.5-acre monument park in 1996. The monument stands 10.18 meters tall, symbolizing that the central government agencies, Red Army headquarters, and leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Liu Shaoqi crossed the river here on the evening of October 18 to start the Long March. The body of the monument is designed in the shape of twin sails, signifying the Central Red Army’s departure on a long journey from this point. The broad and solid base represents the firm, resolute, and hopeful steps of the Central Red Army as they advanced forward. The site is now enclosed with railings to protect the surrounding flowers, plants, and trees, creating a pleasant environment that stays green and vibrant all year round, symbolizing the everlasting spirit of the Long March.     On the left side of the monument base is the first verse of “The Long March Song” handwritten by Lu Dingyi: “In October, the autumn wind turns cold; the Central Red Army is busy on its long expedition. Crossing the Yudu River under starlight, we win battles at Gubei and Xintian.” It truthfully depicts the Central Red Army’s night crossing of the Yudu River as they began their Long March. On the right is a poem written by [Name] in 1962 on the occasion of the Army Day, in memory of Liu Bojian, then head of the Political Department of the Gan’nan Provincial Military District: “The Red Army embarks on the Long March to resist Japan, crossing the murmuring Yudu River by night. Liu Bojian plays the zhu on the beam above, evoking Jing Ke’s heroic spirit and the farewell sentiments of Gao Jianli.”     In 2000, the Monument Park of the First Crossing of the Central Red Army on the Long March was approved by the provincial government as a Jiangxi Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In November 2005, the Monument Park and the Yudu Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall were jointly listed as National Patriotic Education Demonstration Bases. In May 2006, the Monument Park, along with 13 other historic sites, was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 2006, Yudu County built the Museum of the Starting Point of the Central Red Army’s Long March within the Monument Park. With a construction area of 1,100 square meters, the two-floor exhibition hall uses texts, charts, photographs, sand tables, oil paintings, artifacts, and modern techniques involving sound, light, and electricity to visually present the history of the Central Red Army’s departure on the Long March, recreating the pivotal turning point in China’s revolution and the historical scenes of the people in the Soviet Area supporting the Red Army.