Crossings that turned the tide

More than 30,000 against 400,000. The two numbers capture the stark imbalance between the Communist Party of China-led Red Army and the encircling Kuomintang troops during one of the most decisive military campaigns of 1935.

At first glance, the odds seemed insurmountable. Yet, the vastly outnumbered Red Army not only survived but also turned the campaign into a pivotal moment in the Long March (1934-36), the epic two-year military trek that paved the way for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution and the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Known as the "Four Crossings of the Chishui River" campaign — which Chairman Mao Zedong later described as "the proudest achievement" of his military career — the legendary operation has recently been brought to the big screen in Crossing, which opened in theaters nationwide on June 26.

Released as a tribute to the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, the film opens in the aftermath of the Battle of Xiangjiang River, one of the bloodiest engagements of the campaign. Fought in 1934, the battle dealt a devastating blow to the Red Army, leaving more than 50,000 soldiers dead, wounded, captured or missing.