Chishui River Crossing Sites

The Four Crossings of the Chishui River are among the most studied campaigns in military history: between January and March 1935, Mao's outnumbered army shuttled across the Chishui four times, breaking free of encirclement and setting the Long March on its final course. The sites - ferry points, battle ridges, and memorial halls - stretch along the river that runs red with sediment and history.

The most dramatic stretch is around the town of Tucheng, where the first crossing happened under fire, and the gorges east of Chishui city retain the terrain as it was. English guides are available through Zunyi's tourism office, and the river itself - cliff-lined, turbulent, startlingly red - is worth the drive even without the history.