Ningxia Xiji: Inheriting red memory, “Red Army fans” pave the way for rural revitalization

CCTV News: The Long March included both combat marches over natural dangers and years of coexistence between soldiers and civilians. In 1935, the First Red Army and the Fourth Red Army completed the arduous march over snow-capped mountains and across grasslands. In August of the same year, the 25th Red Army moved northward and entered southern Ningxia. They rested in the Xinglong Town of Xiji and formed an indissoluble bond with the local people.

In Xiji County, Ningxia, there is a famous specialty called "Red Army Rice Noodles". This potato vermicelli is not only a local specialty, but also contains a red past during the Long March. What a touching story is this? Let's explore together.

In August 1935, the 25th Red Army entered Xiji County, Ningxia for a short rest and then continued its long march northward. Several injured Red Army soldiers were unable to move with the army due to their injuries, so they stayed at the homes of local people to recuperate.

Xiji County is located at the western foothills of Liupan Mountain in southern Ningxia, in the hilly and ravine area of ​​the Loess Plateau. The mountains and ravines are deep and the natural conditions are difficult. However, the unique climate and soil conditions here are very suitable for potato growth. While recovering from his injuries, a Red Army soldier from the south saw that the local people had a very single way of eating potatoes, most of which could only be steamed or boiled, so he taught them the vermicelli making skills he had mastered.

In order to express gratitude for the kindness of the Red Army, local people called the vermicelli made "Red Army vermicelli". More than 90 years later, the old wooden colander used by the Red Army is still treasured by the villagers.

Craftsmanship is reborn and “Red Army fans” pave the way to enrich the people

From supporting their families to becoming bigger and stronger, local people continue to inherit and improve the vermicelli making techniques taught by the Red Army. From simple handmade "Red Army powder" to using purification technology to produce purer, greener and safer vermicelli; from the previous single vermicelli to the current vermicelli, wide vermicelli, hand-rolled vermicelli and other forms, now, flour making has become a local specialty industry.

Walking into the flour milling workshop run by Gu Haiyin in Wanghe Village, Xinglong Town, Xiji County, workers are making vermicelli. After kneading the vermicelli, boiling water for curing, cooling, drying and shaping, each piece of "Red Army Vermicelli" with clear texture is freshly produced.

The transformation of one workshop is also a microcosm of the industrial development of the entire Xiji County. In recent years, Xiji County has integrated many traditional family workshops, cultivated nearly 30 large-scale processing enterprise cooperatives, and implemented the "village collective + corporate cooperative + farmer household" model of linking farmers with farmers to produce fine powder, wide powder, leek leaf powder and other products. The flour milling industry has gradually developed towards scale, standardization, and branding.

In addition to developing "Red Army Rice", Xiji County has also continued to expand the potato industry chain, establishing a development pattern such as seed potato breeding, fresh potato export, and starch processing; promoting large-scale planting of corn for both grain and feed use, and supporting the development of the beef cattle industry with a planting and breeding cycle model. At present, the number of beef cattle raised in the county reaches 620,000, and the industrial output value is 1.68 billion yuan. Driven by specialty industry clusters such as potatoes, beef cattle, and cold vegetables, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Xiji County will reach more than 17,000 yuan in 2025.

Industry and red culture are deeply integrated, and the spirit of the Long March is passed down from generation to generation

The little "Red Army fans" transformed the red memory into real economic benefits, allowing people in the old areas to achieve stable employment at their doorsteps, and filling the pockets of the villagers. Relying on specialty industries such as potatoes, Xiji County, which used to have difficult natural conditions, has shaken off poverty and achieved prosperity. In recent years, Xiji has tapped into the rich local red wealth and embarked on a path of rural revitalization integrating culture and tourism.

In October 1936, the First, Second and Fourth Red Front armies met at Jiangtaibao in Huining, Gansu and Xiji County, Ningxia, marking the successful end of the Red Army's Long March. During the National Day, many tourists came to Jiangtaibao Red Army Long March Reunion Memorial Park to relive the history of the Long March, commemorate the revolutionary martyrs and appreciate the spirit of the Long March.

Xiji County is not the only one. In accordance with the "15th Five-Year Plan", Guyuan City adheres to the development idea of ​​"red builds the soul, green empowers, revitalizes ancient colors, and enriches the people with characteristics". Through immersive business formats such as live performances, Long March walking studies, and digital cultural exhibitions, it promotes the diversified transformation of red resources from single tourism to ideological and political education and industrial empowerment. In 2026, Guyuan Red Tourism has received more than one million tourists, with teenagers accounting for more than 40%.

From a flour-making craft left behind by the Red Army to the booming development of industries that enrich the people, from the ruins of revolutionary sites to the hot red studies, the red gene is constantly transformed into development momentum, and the spirit of the Long March is passed down from generation to generation at the foot of Liupan Mountain.