German writer cycles nearly 7,000 kilometers along Long March route

As China marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, German writer Christian Y. Schmidt has reflected on a journey along the historic route that gave him a deeper understanding of the hardships endured by the Red Army.

Schmidt and fellow writer Volker Haering set out from Ruijin in Jiangxi Province and followed the route of the First Front Army of the Red Army northwestward between 2023 and 2024.

Their journey lasted 138 days and covered nearly 7,000 kilometers by bicycle. Schmidt said the toughest part came while crossing the Jiajin Mountains in western Sichuan Province. The cyclists faced an uphill stretch of roughly 30 kilometers amid snow, fog and difficult winding roads.

He said the experience gave him a much more immediate sense of how severe the natural conditions faced by the Red Army had been.

Schmidt also highlighted the importance of having a common goal and being willing to endure hardship. In his view, the lesson applies both to personal life and to national development, where long-term achievements often require persistence through difficult periods.

The Long March of 1934–1936 was a major military maneuver by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and later became one of the defining episodes of modern Chinese history.

The First Front Army covered about 12,500 kilometers between 1934 and 1935. The Second and Fourth Front Armies began later, followed different routes and completed their marches in 1936.

According to CCTV+, Schmidt's journey along the Long March route gave him first-hand insight into the difficult terrain and hardships encountered by those who took part in the historic campaign.