The Art of the Party: Revolutionary Ideals Higher than Heaven

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This oil painting, “Revolutionary Ideals Higher than Heaven,” was completed by Chinese painter Shen Yaoyi in 1976.

The painting shows Mao Zedong giving a rousing speech to Red Army soldiers as they crossed the Songpan grasslands in Sichuan Province.

They made the journey between 1935 and 1936 during the Long March.

Mao's words seem to inspire the soldiers and serve as a beacon of warmth along their arduous path.

Harsh environmental conditions made the Long March very difficult, but the Red Army proved fearless.

The Long March was an extended series of maneuvers made to evade defeat by the enemy, the Kuomintang.

Red Army soldiers trekked more than 12,500 kilometers, across some of China’s most difficult terrain, before it was over.

Its completion put China’s revolution on a path to victory.

The painting pays tribute to Mao and the army of heroes that marched with him.

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