In June 2015, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the site of the Zunyi Meeting and the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall. During his visit to the meeting room that preserved the scenes from that time, General Secretary Xi Jinping mentioned, “The Zunyi Meeting, as an important meeting of great historical significance in the history of our Party, has left valuable experience and important insights in integrating the basic principles of Marxism with the specific realities of China, adhering to the path of independence and self-reliance, firmly upholding the correct political line and policy strategies, and building a strong and mature central leadership collective.” In July 2023, the “Roaming through Guizhou, Embracing Miao Splendor”-social practice team from NPU, following the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, visited the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall to conduct exchange activities in Zunyi City, Guizhou Province. From the perspective of contemporary university students, they engaged in discussions with museum guides about the important role of contemporary red museums in the dissemination of popular culture. The guides from the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall warmly welcomed the members of the practice team and engaged in in-depth exchanges about the background and historical significance of the Zunyi Meeting.

Retracing the Zunyi Meeting, Seeking the Spirit of Independence

The Zunyi Meeting was a crucial meeting held from January 15th to 17th, 1935, during the Red Army’s Long March. It had a profound impact on the development of the Chinese Revolution and subsequent history. The meeting marked the end of the dominance of “Left” dogmatism within the central leadership, reorganized the central leadership organs, and established Mao Zedong’s leadership position in the Red Army and the Communist Party of China Central Committee. It put the Communist Party of China on the right track and achieved a significant historical turning point. The practice team followed the sequence of the Zunyi Meeting site--the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall--the former site of the Red Army General Political Department--the former site of the Zunyi Guard Headquarters of the Red Army-and the former site of the Central Bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic, retracing the related historical sites before and after the Zunyi Meeting.

In the school building at the former site of the Red Army General Political Department, the practice team experienced the awe-inspiring struggle of revolutionary soldiers through their poignant battle hymns. In front of the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall, they reflected on the hardships of the Long March and the greatness of the turning point. On the attic of the Zunyi Meeting site, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the spirits of the heroes, experiencing the meticulousness of revolutionary work. At the former site of the Central Bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic, they reminisced about the great endeavors of the Communist Party members and paid tribute to the pioneering spirits who fearlessly forged ahead......

 Exploring the Zunyi Meeting Site: A Great Turning Point Recorded in History, Red Spirits Leaving a Lasting Legacy

The Zunyi Meeting site bears the weight of a significant turning point in Chinese revolutionary history and embodies the eternal glory of the red spirits. After the First Front Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army arrived in Zunyi, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened an expanded meeting of the Political Bureau known as the “Zunyi Meeting.” During the meeting, a resolution was passed summarizing the opposition against the enemy’s fifth” encirclement and suppression “campaign. The practice team visited various locations within the Zunyi Meeting site, including the meeting room, the office of the General Commander of the Military Commission, and the offices of Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and Kang Keqing. Sitting beside these round tables that carry the memories of the revolutionary era, one can almost hear the echoes of the debates that took place during the meeting, and sense the weight of the decisions and the profoundness of history.

The practice team gained a deep understanding of the remarkable and arduous Red history during the 25,000-mile Long March, including the heroic feats of capturing Luding Bridge and crossing the treacherous waters of the Chishui River. They developed a profound appreciation for the revolutionary spirits of the martyrs who were fearless in their struggles, persevered through countless hardships, and were unafraid of sacrifice. This experience further strengthened their commitment to the red faith and their determination to inherit the red genes, carry forward the revolutionary traditions of the Zunyi Meeting, promote socialist core values through revolutionary culture, and explore broader prospects for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Returning to the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall: Marching forward Courageously toward Victory, the Spirit of the Meeting Endures Forever.

“The road ahead is filled with challenges like iron passes,” the red imprints displayed in the memorial hall vividly narrate the thrilling story of the Zunyi Meeting as a “great turning point.” “Now we stride forward from the beginning,” In the answer sheets of the times, each arduous exploration embodies the aspirations and expectations of a turning point. Through the explanations, the practice team gained a deep understanding, learned, and documented the historical significance of the Zunyi Meeting, summarizing its valuable experiences and important insights that it left behind.

Following the guidance of the exhibition hall's interpreters, the practice team delved deep into the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall. The restoration and display of the meeting room, historical materials, photographs, and other artifacts serve as a commemoration of the glorious years of the Communist Party of China and a tribute to the great revolutionary spirit of the older generation. Every red imprint in the Zunyi Meeting Exhibition Hall tells the solemn history of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese Revolution to the people, inspiring every revolutionary to forge ahead on the path to liberation and serving as a source of strength for future generations to continue moving forward.

Reflections

Through this practice, the “Roaming through Guizhou, Embracing Miao Splendor” social practice team has gained a deeper understanding of China’s modernization process. The Zunyi Meeting Memorial Hall strives to explore a colorful path for modernization in Guizhou that conforms to the laws of development, embodies Guizhou's characteristics, and serves the overall development of the country. By relying on the Zunyi Meeting, conducting thematic education, and closely aligning with the cultural development needs of the nation, it adheres to the development ideology centered on the people and has become an exemplary model for China's modernization, while also keeping the spirit of the Zunyi Meeting shining brightly. Contemporary university students should consciously shoulder the responsibility of inheriting and promoting the red culture in the new era. They should pay tribute to the revolutionary martyrs, carry forward the red legacy, inherit and promote the red spirit, and strive to contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Text: Chen Ruikai

Photo: Hu Xinrui & He Xize

Translator: Zhou Yaru

Review: Cheng Yin