The Art of the Party: Battle of Luding Bridge

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This painting, “Battle of Luding Bridge” is the work of Chinese artist Liu Guoshu in 1959.

It shows the moment when 22 Red Army soldiers fought to capture the Luding Bridge in 1935 during the Long March.

The bridge was built 300 years ago, and it spans the Dadu River in Luding County, Sichuan province.

Formed by 13 thick iron chains, it is about 100 meters long and 2.7 meters wide.

Pursued by a much larger Nationalist force in 1934, the Red Army left Soviet-controlled districts, beginning one of the longest military retreats the world has ever known – the Long March.

When the Red Army arrived at the Dadu River 1935, they discovered there weren’t enough boats for thousands of troops to cross the river.

With the Nationalist forces in hot pursuit, Mao Zedong and other Red Army leaders ordered assaults on the bridge and Luding City from both sides of the river.

Forces under the command of local warlords had removed the bridge’s planking, leaving only the chains.

A team of 22 commandos volunteered to seize the bridge.

They crossed - holding onto the chains and their weapons - while under enemy machine gun fire. The assault force reached the other side, defeating the enemy.

Four commandos died in the battle. Their sacrifice secured the safety of thousands of their comrades who then captured Luding City.

The Battle of Luding Bridge was a major Red Army victory during the Long March.

A victory made possible by the bravery of a handful of commandoes whose heroism remain a source of inspiration in China.

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