"The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March, / Holding light ten thousand crags and torrents."

This poem was written by Mao Zedong in October 1935

to praise the brave and indomitable revolutionary spirit of the Red Army

On May 14 of the same year, the Second Red Army Corps led by Marshal He Long

entered Batang County in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province during the Long March

During their 38-day trek through the region, they left behind many traces of red culture

(Site of the Battle at Renbo Monastery in Zhongza, photo provided by the Batang County Government)

In order to head north through the Sichuan-Kham region to resist Japan

when the Second Red Army Corps passed through Batang, they proactively put up notices along the way

informing the local Tibetan people that they were an army of the poor and oppressed

striving to minimize disruption to the local Tibetan communities

Marshal He Long, despite his busy military duties,

took time to meet with representatives of the Tibetan people

and kindly explained the Communist Party’s ethnic and religious policies to them

(Photo provided by the Batang County Government)

"The Communist Party takes not even a needle or thread from the people, and will help the Tibetan people prosper!"

Before long, these words spread throughout Batang County

The Red Army demonstrated their love for the people through sincere and genuine actions

and were affectionately called the "Bodhisattva Soldiers" by the Tibetan people

(Dangbala Weng, where Commander He Long once stayed, photo provided by the Batang County Government)

On June 20, 1935, after traveling 360 kilometers, the Second Red Army Corps

left Batang County and successfully joined forces with the Fourth Red Army Corps in Garzê Prefecture

After the Red Army left Batang County, hostile forces began to retaliate fiercely

against the people who had helped them

But such retaliation could no longer intimidate or drive away the local Tibetan people

because the Red Army had already sown the seeds of revolution in Batang

Since then, the "Long March Spirit" has taken root and flourished here

(Source: Provided by Batang County Government)

In 1942, influenced by communist ideology

progressive Tibetan youths such as Phuntsok Wanggyel, Doedeng, and Tsering Drak

established the progressive youth organization "Spark Society" in Batang

to promote progressive ideas among the Tibetan people in the Xikang region

By 1943, the "Spark Society" had grown into

the earliest communist organization in the entire Tibetan-inhabited area of China—the Plateau Communist Group

In 1945, China won the victory in the War of Resistance against Japan, and the whole nation rejoiced

Although Batang County is located in a remote southwestern border area, the local people

enthusiastically donated funds to build the only Victory Monument of the War of Resistance against Japan in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of China

—the Batang County Victory Monument of the War of Resistance against Japan

This stands as a historical testament to the Batang people’s love for the motherland, their commitment to national unity and ethnic solidarity,

their joint resistance against imperialist aggression, and their celebration of the victory in the war.

After truly experiencing the transformative power of progressive communist ideals,

in 1950, the people of Batang, holding “Unity Buns,” opened the city gates

to joyfully welcome the southern column of the 18th Army, which was preparing to liberate Tibet, as they entered Batang

A total of 213 Tibetan young men enthusiastically signed up to join the army

After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, many of them stayed on in Tibet

and began the great national endeavor of building a new Tibet

Batang County thus became a true “Red Plateau Tibetan Region”!

(Source: Provided by Batang County Government)

Seventy years have passed, yet the red spark that once burned in Batang County has never been extinguished

It has long been deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of the region

and has been endowed with even broader significance in the new era

In recent years, veterans of the proletarian revolution

and descendants of the Red Army have retraced the Long March route

and provided Batang with generous care and intellectual support

A series of high-level cultural exchange activities facilitated by descendants of the Red Army

such as the official inauguration of the “Huang Xinting Red Army Primary School,” the “Batang Connects Beijing” event resonating in the capital,

and the performance of the Heavenly Children’s Choir in Taiwan, achieved a “zero breakthrough” in bringing Tibetan regional culture “out to the world.”

brought more people’s attention to Batang County, located in the treacherous section of the Hengduan Mountains

and helped them learn about authentic Tibetan culture

In 2015, Batang County officially sounded the clarion call for the battle against poverty

Descendants of the Red Army actively helped introduce resources and build platforms for poverty alleviation industries

The 53,600 people of Batang also infused the “Long March spirit” into their poverty eradication efforts

They successfully integrated 970 million yuan in funds and built 290 projects

Over the seventy years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China

Batang, once a barren land through which the Red Army passed

has undergone earth-shaking changes

(Image source: Provided by the Batang County Government)

A single spark can start a prairie fire

As the melodious notes of the Batang Xianzi (a traditional stringed instrument) began to play

the indomitable “Long March spirit” continued to spread into 2019

To support poverty alleviation, Batang County is about to unveil to the world

the beautiful Cuopu Valley Natural Ecological Reserve

(Image source: Provided by the Batang County Government)

The Cuopu Valley Natural Ecological Reserve features four major scenic spots:

the Rekeng Hot Spring Scenic Area, Zhangmu Grassland Scenic Area, Cuopu Lake, and Mount Zhajinjiabo

This once “hidden paradise” is now waiting for your visit

It will fully showcase to you a three-dimensional plateau ecosystem

allowing you to truly experience the beauty of Batang in nature！

(Image source: Provided by the Batang County Government)