'Long March' Still Critical to CCP

China’s Communist Party commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Long March on Friday. We explore the historical significance of the event and what it means to President Xi Jinping.
What was the Long March?
The Chinese Communist Party originated in 1921. Its alliance with the Kuomintang, or Nationalists, was severed in 1927, after which the Communists fled to the western part of Jiangxi province. The remote, mountainous region was roadless and accessible only by footpaths, making it a safe haven for the Communists, who established the Soviet Republic of China there.