Taking Long March in Their Stride

It is historical fact that, in Churchillian terms, the blood, toil, tears and sweat of the Long Marchers enabled the survival of the Communist Party and laid the groundwork for the success of its revolution. The march, an astonishing accomplishment that has received at best limited coverage in the west, has always enjoyed legendary status in China. Now two Englishmen, Ed Jocelyn and Andrew McEwen, both in their 30s and each well schooled in the history of the Long March, describe the Red Army's odyssey as nothing less than "the greatest exploit of the 20th century".

Their admiration for the marchers' deeds goes far beyond mere words. They are prepared to put themselves to the grinding test of repeating it--a challenge neither could resist. They are not attempting it for fame, glory or money or because they happen to be westerners, but simply because they see it as an irresistible physical and mental challenge.

Next month they will fly to the town of Yudu in Jiangxi Province, starting point of the original Long March, to prepare for their journey, which--like the original--will begin on October 16. Ahead of them will lie the 368 days taken by the original long marchers to traverse the 6,000-plus daunting miles of paths, roads, mountains, valleys and wetlands. They may also face human and other dangers not experienced by the Red Army when it trudged the distance. The two men plan and hope to arrive in Wuqizhen, Shaanxi Province, on October 19, 2003, the very month and day the original Long March finished. Meanwhile, they have dubbed their journey "Long March, 2002".

Jocelyn and McEwen will cross some of the most rugged terrain in China. Difficulties seem sure to confront them in Sichuan Province especially, where they will have to scale both towering peaks--the highest pass being at 4,700 meters above sea level--and a stretch of fetid swamp that will take six days to cross. Undaunted by such prospects, they hope to keep pace with the original march in order to have as close an idea as possible of what the soldiers endured. This means a schedule that calls for them to hike an average of 40 kilometers a day throughout their journey.

Among their reasons for trying to repeat the march, said Jocelyn, are that while "travel is just generally great, the trek is an opportunity to learn a lot as well". The two were first struck with the idea while working out their travel bug in a trip to south-west China's Guizhou Province.

At the time, McEwen was reading a biography of Mao Zedong, and Jocelyn Edgar Snow's Red Star Over China, both of which books recounted the exploits of the Long March. During Jocelyn's and McEwen's visit to Guizhou, they by chance visited one remote area through which the Red Army had passed a brush with history that made a mark on both men.

Their Long March will be quite different from the original, which the pair are quick to point out. Said Jocelyn: "This is not a contest or a recreation; it's a retracing." In some ways, though, by simply setting out on the trek, they concede they are bound to have some of the same feelings as the original marchers. Because sections of the journey have not been mapped, they will only be able to complete the challenge with the help of locals along the way, an aspect they eagerly anticipate.

They expect to be warmly received. "For one thing, people who help us will get a kick out of hanging out with a couple of crazy laowai ..." quipped Jocelyn. Either way, they have a healthy attitude of knowing they will regularly get lost, a prospect that does not alarm them.

In small towns along the trail they hope to come across living witnesses to the original march, or even some elderly people who were themselves on the march, or some parts of it. Said McEwen: "Important to us is connecting with the reality of what happened, not the legend." In furtherance of this, the two have already contacted and interviewed surviving Long Marchers living in Beijing. They plan on collating material culled from their extensive research, interviews and personal experiences to write a book about both the original march and their own adventure.

A strong point of their mission is their long friendship. The two met as undergraduate students in England, becoming fast friends and staying in touch ever since. Both have also spent the past five years living and working in Beijing. During their journey, considering the pace they are planning and the fact they will be sharing gear, they will have no choice but to stay together every day.

To cope with conflicts that will almost certainly occur between them, they will have "50-50 calls all the time", as McEwen puts it, their having devised a foolproof method forged during their trip to Japan to watch the World Cup. They call their ploy the "penalty shoot-out", which entails setting up a mini-soccer goal, finding a small ball, and having a finger-driven kick-off with decision-making rights going to the victor.

With little time left before they take the first steps on their journey, the two are focusing all their attention on the tasks ahead. To ensure they are in top physical condition, they have started a demanding training regime that has sent them pounding the Beijing pavements from as far as Tuanjiehu to the People's University, weighted packs on their shoulders. Weekends they try to hit nearby mountains to get ready for the constant ups and downs they will face, not least the complications inherent in climbing at high altitudes. They are also taking first-aid lessons in case of mishaps, and will carry a minimalist but effective kit that includes inflatable splints and other necessities.

While all such details are crucial, Jocelyn pointed out that "it will be the psychological challenge that will be far and away the greatest, because it's a total step into the unknown. Obviously at present I can't go out and imagine myself in a situation where I've been on the road for 100 days and still face a further 250 or whatever".

For one thing, unlike the original marchers, whose options often lay between moving or dying, the duo will be able to stop or call it quits whenever they want. Mornings of sore muscles, painful blisters and muggy heads may be difficult, they foresee. Said Jocelyn: "There is nothing motivating us to do it except our own desire." This said, the pair seem more than well prepared.

Another part of preparation has been the seeking of government assistance and sponsorship, which has meant courting the media. They have already been interviewed by Yang Rui of CCTV-9's Dialogue program, on which both came across as highly intelligent, articulate and well versed about the march when tenacious Yang asked a string of historical questions. Feature articles about their plan have been published in Beijing Youth Daily, Beijing Today and various other newspapers and magazines.

Financing for the project is, at this point, wholly from their own pockets. Both say they are not against sponsorship, but they are determined to maintain complete control over their itinerary and everything else related to their venture. In doing so, they seem to already be fulfilling one of their main goals--"to stay in the spirit of the march".

As they spread the word about their impending trek, they have received generally very positive and enthusiastic responses. Jocelyn commented: "What I've noticed in people's reactions to our plan is that they clearly know it's not just some piece of propaganda. If it was, they would turn away. They understand it's something which is genuinely exciting, adventurous and interesting."

At the same time, less-positive responses seem only to steel their resolve. As McEwen said: "There is a smaller percentage who react somewhat quizzically. Typically, they give a long list of reasons why [our trip] is not entirely practical. Such responses are an opportunity to examine how well prepared we truly are. So far, no one has managed to come up with a question or a problem that we hadn't already thought of."

Most reactions are more similar to those expressed by a real-estate salesman Jocelyn recently met. Jocelyn gave the man his name-card, but was surprised to be phoned by him a few hours later, asking him exactly what the Long March 2002 was all about. "After I told him, he said 'That's great!'. He wanted to talk about it, and know all about it. He didn't say a word about real-estate the entire time."

Not all of the march will be hiking and hardship. The two men estimate that even in keeping pace with the original marchers, one of every three days will be walk-free. Said Jocelyn: "We'll wake up on those mornings and we'll think: 'Yes!' Because we'll be so free, with no jobs, we'll want to get around and talk to people, but compared to the grind of the other days it will be great--a liberation." And when rare chances arise to indulge themselves, indulge they will. "We're not doing this to deliberately punish ourselves and suffer," he added.

Their efforts show promise of leading to rich rewards beyond the financial. Aside from losing their big-city flab, they look forward to what should prove to be a true spiritual journey, an odyssey unlike anything either has ever done or will ever have the chance to do again. Learning and spreading information, not fame, are their ambitions. Their book, and interviews with surviving Long March veterans, seem certain to attract widespread interest, while their planned photographic coverage of the route in its entirety is thought to be completely unprecedented.

Predicted McEwen: "The venture is going to build momentum as time goes on, and by the time we've reached the end it could be quite a large event, hopefully spreading a good message."

What message? "Leave your job and just walk."