CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Shihao Town in Qijiang District has recently been approved as a municipal-level historical and cultural town by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, bringing the total number of such towns in Chongqing to 55, which includes 23 recognized as national historical and cultural towns and 32 at the municipal level.

Located at the southernmost tip of Qijiang District, Shihao Town spans 129.39 square kilometers and sits at the boundary between Chongqing and Guizhou. Its name, "Shihao," derives from the region’s distinctive limestone terrain, which creates deep gullies. The town itself boasts a history stretching back nearly 200 years.

One of the most significant chapters in Shihao’s history comes from its association with the Central Red Army during the Long March. On January 21, 1935, following the pivotal Zunyi Conference, more than 8,000 troops from the First Red Army Corps, including the directly affiliated units and the First and Second Divisions, passed through the town. They departed from Shihao on January 22, beginning their arduous journey to cross the Chishui River – a key moment in the famous "Crossing the Chishui River Four Times" during the Long March. Today, Shihao Town is a treasure trove of historical sites related to the Red Army. It is home to two municipal-level protected cultural relics and nine district-level protected sites, including the former headquarters of the First Red Army Corps, Red Army caves, and Red Army bridges.

Shihao Town also hosts abundant historical and cultural resources. In total, Shihao is home to 84 immovable cultural relics, 54 Red Army sites, one historical building, two sections of the Red Army Road, and five remnants of the Third Front Construction. Among its many cultural assets, it also boasts an intangible cultural heritage.

As the only town in Chongqing that uniquely highlights the historical legacy of the Central Red Army's Long March, Shihao Town has become a key site in the Chongqing section (Qijiang) of the National Cultural Park of the Long March, a major project dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of the Red Army’s epic journey.

(Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)