The Long March

The Communist Party of China (CPC), also known as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was officially founded in July 1st, 1921 and eventually defeated the Kuomintang (KMT), forming the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in October 1st, 1949. During the years of fighting between the KMT and the CPC, the Long March of the Red Army is considered one of the most significant events and a turning point in the fighting. The Long March of the Red Army started in October 1934 and lasted until October 1936. It may originally have been a retreat from the KMT, but it allowed for the CPC to recuperate and solidify their power in the rural parts China. The Long March spanned 14 provinces, altogether covering over 10,000km, started in the Jiangxi Province and ended the province of Shaanxi.

     During this Long March, Mao Zedong became one of three members of the Military Affairs Commission. The other two members were Zhou Enlai and Wang Jiaxiang. After his promotion, Mao Zedong led the First Red Army across some of the harshest terrain in China, to eventually meet up with the Fourth Red Army. This is when Mao Zedong was able to solidify his power and eventually forming the People’s Republic of China.

 

Historical Celebrities

Deng Xiaoping


    Deng Xiaoping was born August 22, 1904 in northeastern Sichuan. After his mother died, he was sent to the Chongqing Preparatory School. After he graduated he was selected to take part in an exclusive program to study in France. It was in France where Deng Xiaoping met Zhou Enlai and started to learn about Communism. While in France Deng Xiaoping joined the Chinese Communist League in Europe and eventually officially joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1923. After joining both of the organizations, Deng Xiaoping became heavily involved in Chinese politics.

     After returning to China in October 1926, Deng Xiaoping quickly went to the forefront of the CCP and led the Baise Uprising in the Guangxi province. Eventually heavy fighting broke out between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang. During this time, Deng Xiaoping partook in the Long March of the Red Army. Shortly after the formation of the People’s Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping was placed under house arrest. Eventually Deng Xiaoping was brought back into politics, mostly through the influence of Zhou Enlai. After Mao Zedong’s death, Deng Xiaoping became a political behemoth that launched several programs leading to China’s reopening to the international scene and planting the seeds for China’s huge economic growth over the past couple decades.

Du Fu

     Recognized as one of the greatest and most influential poets in Chinese history, Du Fu lived from 712-770AD. Although Du Fu was born in a small village near Luoyang in the Henan Province, he is often associated with Sichuan because of the poems that he wrote when he lived in Chengdu.

    Du Fu was born into a poor noble family and was highly educated. Even though Du Fu was educated, he failed his first civil service exam and instead spent the next couple years traveling around China. After several years of traveling he went to the capital city of Chang’an, modernly known as Xi’an, to petition the emperor for a position in the government. Finally after years of petitioning Du Fu was granted a position at the Emperor’s Court, but before he could take his position the An Lushan Rebellion
started leaving the kingdom in turmoil.

    After years of failure, Du Fu moved to Chengdu where his career as a poet began to blossom. He lived in a thatched hut, which is now memorial site, and frequently had to borrow money. It was not until after Du Fu died that his poems achieved the fame that they deserved. Now Du Fu’s poems are now considered artistic masterpieces and are able to give an invaluable insight into the strife that occurred during the Tang Dynasty. Today Du Fu’s poems are still taught in school and have become embedded into Chinese culture, the way Shakespeare has become in English.

Zhuge Liang

    

In Chinese culture Zhuge Liang is synonymous with wisdom. Zhuge Liang was born in Langya, Shandong Province, but due to his parents tragic death and the expansion of the warlord Cao cao, Zhuge Liang and his brothers were forced to flee to Sichuan. While in Sichuan, Zhuge Liang spent his days farming and would spend his nights studying. He quickly became friends with many of the local intellectuals and eventually Liu Bei, a famous general who founded the Shu Han Dynasty, personally asked Zhuge Liang to be his military advisor three times before Zhuge Liang finally agreed. After Liu Bei’s death, Zhuge Liang became Chancellor to Liu Bei’s son and successor Liu Shan. Zhuge Liang died at the age of 54, in the army camp during the Battle of the Wuzhang Plains.

     Zhuge Liang became famous for many great achievements during his life. His most notable achievement was his victory at the battle of Red Cliff, which is known as a turning point during the Three Kingdoms period. Zhuge Liang is also accredited with the inventions of the mantou (a Chinese steamed bun), a the Wooden Cow and Gliding Horse (木牛流馬 is said to be a military device that could move heavy loads), and the invention of a type of repeating crossbow.

Li Bing

    

Li Bing is remembered as being the designer and builder of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Li Bing was a Chinese administrator and engineer during the State of Qin. When Li Bing was assigned as governor over Shu, he noticed that the Min River was prone to flooding the Sichuan Basin. After a detailed survey of the Min River and its surrounding, Li Bing and his advisors designed the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. Li Bing, personally led thousands of workers in the initial stages of construction. After almost a decade of work, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was completed and the locals built a temple to honor Li Bing’s accomplishments. To this day the Dujiangyan Irrigation System is still being used to control the flooding of the Min River and Li Bing is still celebrated as a hero in local culture.