Long March-era artifacts take center stage to tell history through objects and bring back those extraordinary years. Running through the whole performance is the "Red Ribbon", linking past and present while stirring faith and strength. On the afternoon of October 29,Epic of Mountains and Rivers · The Most Beautiful Red Ribbon, a music-themed Party lecture commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, was brilliantly presented at the Optics Valley Concert Hall. Hosted by the University Party Committee and co-organized by the Organization Department of the Party Committee, the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee, and the School of Music and Dance, the event drew university leaders Xu Yeqin, Liu Yi, Li Junjie, and Li Hongyan, together with heads of various university units, Party branch secretaries, and representatives of faculty and student Party members. Attendees retraced the Long March journey and experienced the great Long March spirit amid songs, dances, and heartfelt narrations.
Scene of the Music Party Lecture. Photo by the School of Music and Dance
Framed by Long March cultural relics and the stories behind them, this music Party lecture consists of a prologue,Departure, six main chapters —Blood-Stained · Farewell,Through Fire · Rebirth,Life-and-Death · Choices,Snowy Mountains · Monument,Grasslands · Faint Light, andDawn · Granaries— plus an epilogue,The Most Beautiful Red Ribbon. Blending situational narration with music and dance, the production uses artifacts — an old wooden boat, a family letter, a fishhook — as narrative threads to bring audiences face to face with concrete, vivid stories from the Long March.
As the stage lights shift and flow, the panorama of the Long March unfolds gradually. In the prologueDeparture, layered lighting along the Yudu River sets the scene, where songs and dances re-enact the historic moment when the Central Red Army bade farewell to the Soviet base area and set out resolutely on its long expedition.Blood-Stained · Farewelluses a family letter as its emotional thread, depicting, against the tragic backdrop of the Battle of Xiangjiang River, Red Army soldiers' painful farewells under the wrenching dilemma between family and country, and their tender yet unshakable faith. InThrough Fire · Rebirth, bugle calls ring out. The heroic feat at Kuniu Mountain interweaves with the touching scene of local residents ferrying Red Army troops across the Chishui River, illustrating that rooting itself in and relying on the people is the source of the Red Army's strength.Life-and-Death · Choices, with battle flags fluttering, focuses on the crises and hard choices along the march, demonstrating Communists' firm commitment to their mission and their sense of responsibility. InSnowy Mountains · Monument, the quartermaster gives his cotton-padded coat to his comrades and freezes to death amid the snow-covered peaks; his single thin garment becomes an immortal monument to life.Grasslands · Faint Lightfeatures a fishhook bent from a sewing needle, telling the story of an old squad leader who stood by the sick through life and death. The familiar "Golden Fishhook" from textbooks is transformed into an auditory, visual, and perceptible stage experience. Drawing on a financial seal and a loan receipt,Dawn · Granariesrecounts how the Zang nationality in Gannan braved risks to deliver grain in support of the Red Army. It vividly illustrates how all ethnic groups shared weal and woe and stood by each other in times of hardship, profoundly demonstrating the deep historical roots of fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
Scene of the Music Party Lecture. Photo by the School of Music and Dance
The epilogue,The Most Beautiful Red Ribbon, brings the Party lecture to its climax. As the song swells and dancers converge, the stage shifts from deep, somber tones to bright light. The "Red Ribbon", a symbol of faith and hope, stretches from deep in history into the present day, closely connecting the grand memory of the Red Army's triumphant rendezvous with the endeavors of young people in the new era.
Group Photo of Faculty and Students. Photo by the School of Music and Dance
Jia Jia, Vice Dean of the School of Music and Dance, chief director and screenwriter of the music-themed Party lecture, stated that this music Party lecture represents an innovative practice for the university to fulfill the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, advance the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation in a tangible, perceptible and effective manner, and commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March.
Editor-in-charge: Liu Qiong Reviewed by: Lei Changsheng Uploaded by: Ma Bobo Release Date: October 30, 2026 Reception Date: October 30, 2026
