The Long March

The Long March is the founding myth of modern China.

But what was its reality?

In 1934 the Communist Party and its 200,000-strong armies were forced out of their bases by Chiang Kaishek and his troops and walked more than 8,000 miles to the remote north, suffering appalling casualties. Seventy years later, Sun Shuyun set out to retrace the Marchers’ steps. Following their trail through the harsh terrain, she discovers their hidden stories: the ruthless purges, the terrible toll of hunger and disease, the fate of women, the huge number of desertions, the futile deaths. This is the real story of the March – a human story, told by those who lived it.