The opening ceremony of The Great Expedition, an exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, was held on the 22nd at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing. Cai Qi, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, attended and spoke.

The exhibition is arranged in seven sections, with 357 photographs and charts and 1,061 artefacts and historical documents. It follows the march period by period, from departure to the final junction of forces, with the people and events involved.

What Was the Long March?

The Long March was the long-distance relocation undertaken by the Red Army between 1934 and 1936 after leaving its base areas. It ended in October 1936 when the main forces joined up in the Gansu region, ninety years ago this year.

In China the Long March is a major subject of history education and cultural production. This exhibition is aimed chiefly at school groups and general visitors, and Chinese media ran photographs of queues after it opened.

An Autumn of Commemorative Exhibitions

Beijing is hosting a series of anniversary-linked exhibitions and events this autumn. For tourists and visiting members of Korea's Chinese community, the military museum offers modern history under one roof, and attendance is expected to rise over the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays.