Young Red Army soldier stickers blow up on social media

The left sticker presents "never forget the determination," and the right one presents "be delighted."

Stickers of a young Red Army soldier have been growing in popularity on Wechat, and have begun to dominate other forms of social media in the lead-up to the 80th anniversary of the Long March victory. The stickers are either accompanied by online buzzwords or else depict scenes from the Long March. For example, to express fortitude and determination, one sticker references how the Red Army overcame severe natural obstacles to cross the grassland.

Designer Gu Chen explained that the prototype of the soldier originates from a primary school textbook. For those born during the 1980s and '90s in China, most of their knowledge of the Long March comes from one specific text about a young and stubborn Red Army soldier. The soldier refused to accept food and eventually died of starvation once food became scarce. Gu explained that such stubbornness is still relevant in contemporary society. No matter what the difficulty, it's important for young people to persist when they encounter obstacles. Indeed, the stickers of the young Red Army soldier define and extend the power of the Long March, making it accessible to younger generations.