Hadapu's “A Beam of Light” Bears Witness to the Turning Point of the Long March

2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. On September 22, the Hada Pu Red Army Long March Memorial Museum in Dangchang County, Longnan, Gansu, recreated the candlelight scene inside the main hall of the Yihechang Pharmacy by restoring it, bringing back the famous “A Beam of Light” from Party history in Hada Pu. The article reviews the history after the Central Red Army arrived in Hada Pu in September 1935. At that time, the Red Army was facing severe shortages of personnel and supplies after a long period of maneuvering and fighting, while Hada Pu had active commerce and enthusiastic support from the local people, providing conditions for the Red Army to replenish supplies and rest and reorganize its forces. The Red Army also issued the "Code for Muslim Areas," respecting the customs of ethnic minorities, reflecting both discipline requirements and ethnic unity. More importantly, reconnaissance personnel from the Red Army obtained information from local newspapers that the ShaanGan Red Army and its base areas still existed, prompting Mao Zedong to propose “going to northern Shaanxi.” On September 22, 1935, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting of cadres at the rank of regiment commander and above at the Guandi Temple in Hada Pu, and made the decision to carry out a strategic shift toward northern Shaanxi, reversing the passive situation of the Long March. The article points out that this beam of light symbolizes strategic judgment in a desperate situation and has also become an important witness to the spirit of the Long March.