During his inspection tour of east China's Jiangxi Province in 2019, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, arrived at Yudu County, in Ganzhou, on May 20. Xi paid tribute to a monument marking the departure of the Long March by the Central Red Army and met families of the Red Army veterans and revolutionary martyrs. Noting that China is on "a new Long March," he said that the country will depend on firm faith and strong will of the whole Party and all people to overcome major challenges at home and abroad and secure new victories in building socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

That day remains unforgettable for Zhong Min, a docent working at the Memorial Hall for the Long March Starting Point of the Central Red Army, in Yudu. Zhong is also director of the administration office of the Memorial Garden for the Long March Starting Point of the Central Red Army. 

Zhong began her career as a docent in 1999. In order to speak well in Mandarin, she watched news broadcasts on China Central Television (CCTV), every day, so she could learn to imitate standard pronunciation and intonation. She spent much of her spare time reading aloud books and articles published in magazines and newspapers. She also looked up words in a dictionary to ensure her pronunciation would be correct. She read historical documents and other materials to perfect her knowledge, so she could give spectators the best possible introduction to the revolutionary history in Yudu. 

During the past two decades, Zhong has provided free introduction services to more than 200,000 visitors, from home and abroad. The feedback she has received from countless visitors has given her positive energy, and special memories. 

"I once met a descendant of a Red Army soldier. The spectator traveled from Beijing to Yudu, during a weekend, to learn about the history of the Long March. I outlined the history to him, for more than two hours. When he was about to have lunch, the spectator raised his teacup and said he would like to pay tribute to martyrs who had sacrificed their lives during the great revolution. He also expressed gratitude to both the people of Yudu, who made contributions to supporting China's victory in the revolution, and to those working in the memorial hall today, for passing down the 'red genes' of China's revolutionary history," Zhong recalls. 

Zhong believes everyone can make achievements in his/her post, if he/she works diligently and wholeheartedly. 

The Central Red Army departed from Yudu in October 1934. The calling of "a new Long March" was highlighted in Yudu on May 20, 2019. Working in Yudu, the place with a precious history of the Long March, Zhong is determined to tell well "red stories," and to carry forward the spirit of the Long March. In January 2023, she was elected a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC). As an NPC deputy, Zhong has continued to work hard, and to shoulder her glorious mission on "a new Long March." 

In recent years, Zhong has participated in more than 100 interviews and the shooting of numerous videos, and livestreaming activities, during which she has shared stories about the departure of the Central Red Army from Yudu. She has led her team in recruiting and training more than 2,000 children docents, and she has helped establish a chorus and a publicity team, both composed of descendants of Red Army soldiers. 

She has done her part to inspire and guide younger generations to learn about the revolutionary history, to love their hometowns, to protect cultural relics, and to help create an enabling environment for the provision of a sound social education. 

In September 2023, the Memorial Garden for the Long March Starting Point of the Central Red Army was named a national women's patriotic education base. "This year marks the 90th anniversary of the start of the Long March. I am both a docent and a descendant of a Red Army soldier. I must fulfill my mission by telling the history of our revolutionary predecessors to more and more people, and by helping them realize the happiness of our lives today has not come easy. Now, we are marching on 'a new Long March.' We should adhere to our original aspiration to keep moving forward," Zhong says.

Photos from Interviewee

(Women of China English Monthly November 2024)

Editor: Wang Shasha