To commemorate the anniversary of the Long March's departure, the Military Program Center of China Media Group recently released a ten-episode documentary titled "The 25,000-Mile Voyage."

Looking back through history, many past events have become memories that linger like clouds and water. Recently, the Central Radio and Television Station's National Defense and Military Channel released a documentary series titled "25,000 Miles of Voyage," which, through a new form—aerial photography, chronicles the arduous journey and heroic struggles of the Red Army officers and soldiers during the Long March. This series constructs an epic that transcends time, a passionate chapter engraved in the mountains and rivers.

The development of communication technology has made aerial photography an artistic expression. Aerial photography offers viewers a fresh viewing experience with its unique perspective. The new spirit of the times requires artistic means that align with the era to express it. Looking down from the sky at the "Red Ribbon on Earth," the use of unique lenses and angles presents a vivid and vibrant picture of the familiar historical cross-section, showcasing its grandeur and charm.

However, the content of thoughts determines the value and taste of a work. No art form, no film and television work is a bystander of history, and no exquisite composition of images can be separated from the reflection of historical authenticity. Otherwise, no matter how splendid the structure is or how creative the arrangement and performance are, they are not enough to tell the stories of the Long March, the story of a strong military, and the Chinese story.

Yes, after watching this documentary, the word that inevitably surges in the heart and moistens the corners of the eyes is undoubtedly "bloodline." "Those who drink from the stream remember its source." To tell the story of the bloodline, one must trace its roots and explain to the audience why blood is so crimson and why it burns so fiercely. The bloodline flows within life, but its continuation transcends life itself. The documentary begins with the description of the night scene on the Yudu River, which is "turbulent and connected," devoid of romance, and even imbued with an indescribable sense of parting. When over a thousand Red Army soldiers quietly withdrew from Yudu under the moonlight, they did not know when this campaign would end, nor did they know that only a fraction of their comrades would eventually reach their destination... Life was sacrificed, but the bloodline was carried on. Even in the haste and hardship of their steps, they never forgot the mission they bore. They might not have heard of terms like "passing on the torch through sacrifice" or "choosing death for righteousness," but they clearly understood that even the faintest spark, when ignited with blood, could be passed on to their comrades. To them, loyalty was life itself.

The journey of ten thousand miles captured by the lens is a rugged path forged step by step by the Red Army officers and soldiers with their feet. From the first breakthrough of the enemy's blockade line during the Central Red Army's Long March—the Battle of Baishi in Xinfeng County, to the final breakthrough of the last natural barrier on the Long March, the Lazikou Pass. The documentary, by showcasing the entire process of the Long March, vividly and concretely tells people what it means to "cut open a bloody path." The Communist Party of China, which created the "greatest political miracle on Earth," also crafted an unparalleled military miracle—the bloody legend of the ten-thousand-mile journey with clashing blades and arrows, and the breathtaking efforts to turn the tide in the snowy mountains and grasslands. Whether in the darkest moments or in narrow confrontations, they upheld an unshakable belief.

The documentary not only presents grand narratives of torrential currents but also vivid details that strike the heart, along with many rediscovered people and events. The spirit of the Long March is concretized through these stories, allowing the audience to realize that belief becomes belief because of the confidence in the future. This constitutes the unique spiritual character of the people's army, becoming the support point and coordinate system for our army's glory and victories. Each soldier who once marched on the Long March path is like a star shining in the sky of history, radiating a textured light no matter how distant or faint, inheriting the bloodline gene through the ages, and continuing the promise with the mountains and rivers.

The documentary features gripping narratives and reflective recollections. In the year, Comrade Mao Zedong delivered a speech to the accompanying troops amidst the swirling snow in Xiangbiziwan Village, Ganquan County, Shaanxi, summarizing the Long March. He stated that the Long March was a manifesto, a propaganda team, and a seed planter. Today, a century later, as we follow the documentary to "travel through" the development and changes along the Long March route, we once again feel the profound historical foresight of the great leader's words.

Not only drawing the bow, but also racing a hundred ships. This documentary condenses the eternal memories of historical years, and more importantly, presents the new style and atmosphere of the new era's Long March with refreshing stories, details, and shots. We look down at the bridges spanning the Yudu River, where people commemorate history with the prosperity on both banks; we admire the new legends created by the Chinese hydropower construction forces on the Dadu River, where the lights of thousands of households reflect the "cold iron chains of the Dadu Bridge"; we are moved that the barren land once traversed by the Red Army has become the birthplace of China's hybrid rice, where Yuan Longping cultivated the "seeds that changed the world." In the most difficult times, he repeatedly encouraged himself with Mao Zedong's "Seven-Character Verse on the Long March": "The Red Army fears not the far march's艰, viewing myriad mountains and rivers as mere trifles"…

Art must reflect the times and move forward with them to gain cultural recognition from the audience. Without unique insights into the era and history, a work lacks the epistemological depth to understand and judge history. Documentaries, through individual memorial halls, monuments, sculptures, and more, seamlessly blend history with reality, the turbulent past with the new era, and deeply explore these connections. By tracing history through a person or a city, they transcend a single perspective, showcasing the spiritual atmosphere and profound changes of the new era, interpreting the eternal value of the Long March spirit, and conveying profound reflections from the past to the future.

The final episode of the documentary is titled "Journey Like a Rainbow," reminiscent of the famous line by poet Du Mu, "Without rain, how can there be a rainbow?" This conveys the message that without going through trials and tribulations, one cannot witness the beauty of a rainbow. This is a law of nature, a part of history, and indeed, the inspiration this documentary brings to us.