To mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March, Lights of Hadapu, a large-scale original red drama produced and staged by Gansu Provincial Drama Theatre, will be presented as a tribute performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing on July 1 this year, the Party Founding Day. Based on the pivotal turning point of the Red Army’s Long March in Hadapu, Gansu Province, the play vividly recounts the historic great shift in the destiny of China’s revolution that took place here. Notably, it fully restages the crucial historical decision in which the Red Army identified its future direction through a copy of Ta Kung Pao and resolved to march north to Northern Shaanxi.
Launch of Cross-Regional Tour "Retracing the Long March Route"
At a media briefing held on June 23, Li Weiping, the play’s screenwriter, explained that the core symbolic motif of Lights of Hadapu is "light", which carries three layers of profound meaning. The tangible lamps recreate the dire straits the Red Army faced in despair and confusion, when cadres held all-night meetings to analyze the situation by soybean oil lamps and horse lanterns. The light of popular support embodies the profound bond between the military and civilians, as local villagers provided grain, medicine and treatment for wounded soldiers. The light of faith symbolizes the ideals and hope of leaders who studied newspapers by lamplight, illuminating the path forward for China’s revolution. The director and creative team noted that unlike previous Long March-themed productions centering on snow-capped mountains, grasslands or brutal battles, this play zeroes in on the moment of strategic shift, focusing on depicting the inner mental changes of ordinary villagers and grassroots Red Army soldiers.
A landmark achievement of Gansu’s in-depth creation of red literary and artistic works, Lights of Hadapu has previously won numerous prestigious industry awards, including Outstanding Play at the 19th China Theatre Festival, a nomination for the Wenhua Award, and the Annual Best Stage Presentation Award at the One Drama Awards. It has twice been selected for funding by both the National Arts Fund and Gansu Provincial Arts Fund. Wu Xuelin, President of Gansu Provincial Drama Theatre, revealed that the crew has comprehensively refined the work to fit the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts: deepening the portrayal of ordinary people and grassroots soldiers to infuse the story with human warmth, fully upgrading stage design and lighting to amplify the visual impact of horse lanterns and red sun motifs, and streamlining the narrative rhythm to deliver an immersive historical scene with striking realistic texture for audiences in the capital.
Zhang Xiaodong, Director of the Performance Management Department of Gansu Performing Arts Group, stated that following the tribute performance at the National Centre for the Performing Arts on July 1, supported by the National Arts Fund, the play will officially kick off its cross-regional tour titled "Retracing the Long March Route". The tour will follow the original march path of the Red Army, covering five provinces and municipalities including Jiangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan and Chongqing, before concluding in Hadapu, Longnan of Gansu.
Meanwhile, the Hadapu Red Army Long March Memorial Hall will carry out in-depth "integration of exhibition hall and drama" cooperation with the crew. Wang Yali, Director of the Interpretation Department of the memorial hall, introduced that the memorial hall will follow the drama’s tour schedule, organizing mobile exhibitions and on-site commentator services at every theatre venue.（Outlook New Era）