Long March spirit lives on in Central China

A media delegation journeyed along the route of the Long March in Central China to observe the social changes that have taken place 80 years since the victory of the trek.

The 12,500-km military expedition, which took place from October 1934 to October 1935, laid an important foundation for the Communist victory in the civil war with the Kuomintang regime.

Just as the brave Red Army soldiers walked their path to victory through Nanzhao in Nanyang, Henan province, so too today do the county's residents blaze a trail towards lofty goals.

The reporters visited various places in Nanzhao county to witness recent economic developments. They toured a local magnolia garden and an ancient village famous for its tourism, as well as a hi-tech industrial park and a carpet-making factory.

The reporters were impressed that Nanzhao has developed into a city with a strong development momentum, especially in its industrial and tourism sectors.

Statistics show that, during the past three years, the county has attracted 22.72 billion yuan ($3.38 billion) in investment, and has introduced 55 industrial projects with a capital investment of 9.95 billion yuan.

Nanzhao also has a reputation for taking advantage of its rich natural resources, with 47 different types of minerals and deposits mined and processed in the county, for auto parts production and electrical energy projects. The reporters learned of the 130 related enterprises which, as of 2015, have a combined production value of 5 billion yuan.

The county's tourism sector has benefitted from being home to an abundance of unique natural landscapes. There are 11 popular tourist attractions in the county, including two ranked at 4A level and one at 3A. Nanzhao has won national honors as a County of Chinese Folk Art, as well as being a top county for rural tourism.

The media tour was sponsored by the Cyberspace Administration of China, and included reporters from People's Daily, CCTV and Xinhua.

A decedent of the Red Army reveals a painting he created memorializing the soldiers' journey 80 years ago. [Photo/o1ny.cn]

The magnolia garden in Nanzhao. [Photo/china.com.cn]