Published on: 2026-09-09
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
In October 1934, more than 86,000 fighters of the Central Red Army gathered in Yudu — from here they set off on a long journey. On the eve of the departure, women from the entire Central Soviet District wove sandals day and night, making a total of more than 200,000 pairs so that “no Red Army soldier would go into battle barefoot.” Each soldier had no fewer than two pairs of sandals in his kit bag.
In the Memorial Hall of the Departure of the Central Red Army for the Long March in Yudu, special attention is drawn to the “Map of China” — an installation made of 80 pairs of straw sandals, created in honor of the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the Long March.
Today, Juan Jianyin, the guardian of the intangible cultural heritage of Yu Du County for weaving straw sandals, still demonstrates this craft to visitors — the straws in her hands turn into sandals. Each of the more than 200,000 pairs of sandals embodies the sincere love of the residents of Sovetsky District for the Red Army. Modest in appearance, they carried the Red Army through the Long March of 25,000 li and became a symbol of the unbreakable bond between the people of Yu Du and the Red Army.
Xuan Jianying demonstrates the process of weaving straw sandals. In the movement of her fingers, the red memory captured in each pair of sandals comes to life.
Text, photo and video: Tao Lijiao
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.