Songpan Grassland, located in the northwest of Sichuan, is surrounded by mountains with an altitude of more than 4,000 meters and an average grassland altitude of about 3,400 meters. As a result, the climate here is cold, there is no real summer, and there is no absolute frost-free period.
Most of the area is muddy swamps, and the peat swamps in the Heihe River Basin are connected, and the middle and lower reaches of the swamp rate is as high as 20% to 30%, and the total area of the swamp is more than 3000km.
Even in this harsh environment, the Red Army managed to pass through here.
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In August 1935, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army set foot on the Songpan grassland. The conditions here were difficult, and many of the Red Army soldiers were in rags, but they were full of anticipation for the endless steppe in front of them.
However, they are unaware of the dangers lurking underneath. When marching across the grassland, they made adequate preparations, but they did not expect the grassland environment to be so harsh. Upon entering the meadow, they found swampy mires everywhere.
Once inside, you need to jump along the meadow, because underneath the meadow, the water is black and shallow in different shades, and the deepest part is even topless. If you are unfortunate enough to fall into the quagmire and there is no one to rescue you, you will sink deeper and deeper until you are swallowed.
The harder you struggle, the faster you sink in. Not only can muddy water not be cited, but it can cause redness, swelling and ulceration. Initially someone gets stuck in the mud, others will immediately reach out and pull him, but sometimes they will be swallowed up if they push too hard.
Later, they accumulate experience, and once they fall in, they have to move their bodies slowly to get up. Or wrap the legging strap around the waist of the warrior who is stuck in it and pull it up.
The march was difficult, and the warriors were exhausted by the end of the day.
The climate of the steppe is unpredictable, and when it rains, the road becomes slippery and prone to swamps. The meadows are dotted with rivers, some shallow and easy to cross, while others are turbulent.
The warriors were weakened, suffering from hunger and cold, and could not bear the cold of the river, and fell one after another. The march was difficult, and food was desperately scarce. The barley wheat fried noodles that the Red Army had prepared for a long time needed to be boiled in water.
However, the water quality in the steppe area was not good, and the warriors had to eat it dry, which was not only unbearable in taste, but also extremely thirsty. Once the fried noodles are soaked in rainwater, they will turn into clumps of hard lumps, and the batter made by soaking in boiling water is not filling.
In the extreme scarcity of food, the Red Army soldiers dug up wild vegetables, ate grass roots and bark, and even did not hesitate to eat belts, leather shoes, and saddles. However, some wild grasses and wild vegetables are poisonous, and after eating, they can vomit and diarrhea, and even die of poisoning.
Hunger and disease threatened them mercilessly, and their lives quietly disappeared in the meadows. During the Long March, the Red Army soldiers faced severe tests such as hunger, cold, disease, fatigue, and difficulty in lodging.
They were tenacious and brave, and eventually made their way out of the meadow. According to statistics, the Red Army lost 6,207 men across the meadows; 3,092 men of the Red Second Front fell on the grass; The Red Fourth Front Army suffered the greatest losses, and nearly 7,000 soldiers died in the last three grassland statistics.
This number is enough to make people shocked, and they have used their lives to illustrate their unwavering faith and selfless dedication to the revolution.
Incredibly, Songpan Grassland has been transformed into a picturesque tourist destination that retains its pristine beauty. Each season has its own unique style, attracting a large number of tourists.