Long March for Brits
On October 16, two British expatriates in China, Andrew McEwen and Ed Jocelyn, will step on a long journey across China. It will be a re-staging of the Chinese Communists¡¯ Long March that took place 68 years ago. In October 1934, Chinese Communist forces under Mao Zedong started a retreat that would see them trekking over some of China¡¯s most difficult terrains while all the while fending off pursuing Nationalist forces of Generalissimo Chiang Kaishek. By the time they arrived in northern Shaanxi Province in October 1935, where and when it secured a new base, the Red Army had hiked over 8,000 miles on their feet, and only about 10% of those who started the march survived it.
In their re-staging of the event, McEwen and Jocelyn will start from Yudu in Jiangxi Province in South China and walk all the way to Wuqizhen in Shaaxi Province in Northwest China. Waiting for them in between are rapid streams, towering snow-covered mountains and treacherous swamps in some of China¡¯s most desolate areas. As with the original historical event, their journey will take them 368 days to complete and will take them through 10 provinces or autonomous regions. They plan to walk 10 hours and cover about 30 miles daily.
There will be no life-threatening enemies chasing them to keep them going. Instead, there will be some reporters on hand to give account of the themed tour.
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