The Founding Myth - The Long March

The Long March is known to be a heroic event, one to be proud of. From reading, Long March: The True Story Behind a Myth, I now know that The Long March is not as great as it is portrayed to be. The chain-swinging escapes and the massive battles were exaggerated. Before reading the article, I really did believe that the Long March did happen exactly as it is portrayed in the textbook. Now I question myself how much of history we know is actually factual and not just fiction told by leaders. It is interesting how Sun Shuyun, the author of the article, links The Long March to Moses' Exodus. To make a fight successful, the fighters need an event that they can be proud of to encourage them. This article discredits the Long March but at the same time shows how Mao altered history to make it a founding myth of China.