The hall of the Chinese Cultural Center in Berlin was filled with\nanticipation. Many local residents arrived early to hear German writers\nVolker Haering and Christian Y. Schmidt share the story of their bicycle\njourney retracing the route of the Long March (1934-1936), a military\nmaneuver by the Chinese Workers\u2019 and Peasants\u2019 Red Army that later\nbecame a defining chapter in modern Chinese history.<\/p>\n
In 2023 and 2024, the two men set out from Ruijin, east China\u2019s\nJiangxi province. Cycling westward and then northward, they followed the\npath taken by the Central Red Army, eventually reaching Wuqi county in\nYan\u2019an, northwest China\u2019s Shaanxi province, after more than four months\non the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t understand the spirit of the Long March, you cannot\ntruly understand China.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haering still vividly remembers hearing those words more than two\ndecades ago from a veteran Red Army soldier.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom that moment on, I knew I had to make this journey myself,\u201d he\nsaid with conviction.<\/p>\n
Following in the footsteps of the Red Army<\/p>\n
The pair began their story at Jiajin Mountain in Sichuan Province,\nknown locally as the \u201cMountain of Death.\u201d<\/p>\n
In June 1935, the Central Red Army arrived at its foot \u2013 the first\nsnow-covered mountain they encountered during the Long March.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we climbed higher, the vegetation gradually disappeared. Steep\ncliffs stretched into the distance, and icy winds mixed with rain and\nsnow cut through us,\u201d Haering recalled.<\/p>\n
Schmidt, then 67 years old, suffered severe altitude sickness and\ncould only continue with medication. By the time the two cyclists\nreached the 4,114-meter pass, they were completely exhausted.<\/p>\n
\u201cNinety-one years ago, Red Army soldiers \u2013 wearing thin cotton\nuniforms and straw sandals, while under enemy pursuit \u2013 crossed these\nsnow-covered mountains over seven days and nights,\u201d Haering said. \u201cWe\nwere riding electric bicycles and dressed in modern outdoor gear, yet we\nfelt we had reached our physical limits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schmidt agreed. \u201cOnly after experiencing it yourself can you truly\nunderstand how dangerous the snow mountains were, and only then can you\nfully appreciate the Red Army\u2019s resilience and courage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haering first learned about the Long March at the age of 15 and was\ndeeply fascinated by its history. Over the following decades, he read\nextensively about its history.<\/p>\n
What has enabled the spirit of the Long March to inspire generations\nof Chinese people?<\/p>\n
Driven by that question, Haering, at age 54, embarked on the journey\nwith his friend Schmidt.<\/p>\n
The nearly 7,000-kilometer trip was far more than an adventure. It\nbecame a test of both physical endurance and determination.<\/p>\n
During freezing nights, they often struggled to sleep. In western\nSichuan province, bitter cold, strong headwinds, high altitudes, and\ncontinuous mountain roads made even downhill riding extremely difficult.\nIn the latter half of the trip, their electric bicycles also suffered\nfrequent mechanical failures.<\/p>\n
Haering told People\u2019s Daily that cycling the route helped him better\nunderstand the hardships the Red Army endured, and also gave him a\ngreater appreciation of China\u2019s transformation over the decades.<\/p>\n
Encounters along the Route<\/p>\n
If the snow mountains, grasslands and gorges revealed the harsh\nrealities of the Long March, the people they met along the route showed\nthem another side of China.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re constantly invited to meals,\u201d Haering joked. As they cycled\nthrough China, once locals learned they were retracing the Long March,\ninitial reserve and wariness quickly gave way to hospitality and\nrespect.<\/p>\n
In a small-town restaurant, while the two were eating, a group of\ncurious children gathered around their table. Before long, the children\nhad become their Chinese-language teachers, patiently helping them\npractice pronunciation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe children\u2019s smiling faces remain among the most touching memories\nof the entire trip,\u201d Haering recalled.<\/p>\n
In Xichang, Sichuan province, an experienced bicycle shop owner\nsurnamed Dai, who had run his business for more than 30 years, helped\nreplace their chains and tires and offered practical cycling advice. In\nYan\u2019an, an English-speaking local tour guide surnamed Li showed them\naround many revolutionary heritage sites.<\/p>\n
Sharing China\u2019s story through personal experience<\/p>\n
\u201cMeeting so many kind and genuine Chinese people was the greatest\nreward of the journey,\u201d Haering said.<\/p>\n
In October 2025, the two published the book Der lange Fahrrad-Marsch:\n7.000 Kilometer durch das Reich der Mitte in Germany.<\/p>\n
They subsequently held book-sharing events in Hamburg, Leipzig,\nBerlin, and other German cities, where many readers lined up with\ncopies, waiting for the authors\u2019 signatures.<\/p>\n
\u201cBooks and articles alone are not enough if you want to help Western\naudiences truly understand China. First-hand experience is essential,\u201d\nHaering said.<\/p>\n
He noted that since China expanded its visa-free entry policies,\nincreasing numbers of overseas tourists and content creators have\ntraveled to China, documenting what they see through photos and\nvideos.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a very positive change,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen people see China\nwith their own eyes, they can form their own judgments.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was far from Haering\u2019s first effort to introduce China to\nWestern audiences.<\/p>\n
When he first visited China in the 1990s, he knew little about the\ncountry. More than three decades later, he has cycled over 60,000\nkilometers across China, leading numerous cycling tours through both\ncities and rural areas. Among his friends, he has become known as a\n\u201cChina expert.\u201d<\/p>\n
During their journey across the Dadu River in Sichuan, Haering saw\nmany newly built dams, while elevated bridges and high-speed rail lines\nwere under construction.<\/p>\n
Infrastructure in China has improved tremendously, he said. \u201cToday,\ndigital technologies such as mobile payment and electronic maps have\nbecome deeply integrated into every aspect of travel, making journeys\nmuch more convenient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schmidt shared the same impression. He recalled that traveling to\nremote areas, especially plateau regions, once involved long and\ndifficult journeys. Today, China\u2019s expanding high-speed rail network has\nmade many destinations far more accessible.<\/p>\n
When asked how he understands the spirit of the Long March, Haering\nsaid it lies in the strength of unity and the unwavering commitment to a\nshared goal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a spirit of solidarity,\u201d he added. \u201cWhen people share the same\npurpose, work together, and pool their efforts toward a common goal,\nthere is no obstacle that cannot be overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n
He believes that this spirit continues to shape today\u2019s China.\n\u201cDrawing strength from the spirit of the Long March to overcome\nchallenges, deliver concrete results, and pursue long-term development\nis, in my view, one of the important reasons behind China\u2019s remarkable\nachievements,\u201d Haering said.<\/p>\n
(Photos courtesy of the interviewees)After more than four months of\ncycling, Volker Haering (left) and Christian Y. Schmidt arrived at Wuqi\ncounty in Yan\u2019an, northwest China\u2019s Shaanxi province, the destination\nwhere the Central Red Army concluded the Long March. The photo shows the\ntwo posing in front of a sculpture in memory of the success of the Long\nMarch.<\/p>\n
Source: People\u2019s Daily<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-german-writers-retrace-the-long-march-by-bicycle-1792741817", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }