Our generation's Long March: New guardians of the snow mountains
Ninety years ago, the Red Army crossed Jiajin Mountain, one of the most formidable stretches of the Long March. Snow, freezing temperatures and thin air pushed the soldiers to their limits as they battled their way across the high-altitude terrain.
Today, a new generation is returning to these same mountains, driven by a very different mission.
Based in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, many of the young mountain rescuers are professional guides and Red Cross volunteers. They venture into some of the region’s most challenging high-altitude terrain to rescue people in danger, while also clearing garbage left behind on the slopes.
The journey is different, but the mountains still demand courage, resilience and a willingness to help others.
For these rescuers, the spirit of the epic Long March lives on, not only in every life they save, but in every effort they make to protect the mountains they call home.
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team rescue an injured climber on Jiajin Mountain, a key crossing point along the Red Army’s Long March 91 years ago, in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 12, 2026. Wang Yuxiang/CGTN
A member of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team prepares to rescue an injured climber on Jiajin Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 12, 2026. Wang Yuxiang/CGTN
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team carry an injured climber down Jiajin Mountain following a rescue operation in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 12, 2026. Yang Jinghao/CGTN
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team rescue an injured climber from a cliff on Siguniang Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 7, 2025./Courtesy of Yu Qiang
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team carry an injured climber down Siguniang Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 7, 2025./Courtesy of Yu Qiang
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team clear litter from the slopes of Jiajin Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, September 12, 2026. Yang Jinghao/CGTN
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team clear litter from the slopes of Siguniang Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, March 23, 2025./Courtesy of Yu Qiang
Members of the Xiaojin County Red Cross Mountain Rescue Team clear litter from Siguniang Mountain in Xiaojin County, Sichuan Province, October 26, 2025./Courtesy of Yu Qiang