Xichang: where the Long March meets its rocket namesake

The Long March to the stars! As China marks the 90th anniversary of the Long March, we've visited some of the key sites of that heroic struggle.

One of the Red Army's early successful maneuvers was in the city of Xichang in Sichuan province, thanks to Chairman Mao's mobile warfare tactics.

After victory, Xichang became a key site for China's ambitious space program.

Its perfect geographical and geological position made it home to the country's early lunar programs and the main base for high-orbit missions.

The cutting-edge scientific and technological research and operations running here carry the Long March spirit as humanity bravely reaches for the stars and expands the frontiers of human knowledge.