An intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting artist teaches Armed Police officers to create paper-cutting works in Huining on Aug 27, during an activity aimed at promoting traditional culture and the spirit of the Long March. XU WEI/FOR CHINA DAILY

Cultivating land and trust

That same bond drives the work happening in the rugged loess hills of Shuangmiao village, where soldiers have spent years working on poverty alleviation and rural vitalization.

When Sergeant Sun Xun first arrived in 2015, the landscape was dominated by stark yellow earth, unpaved tracks and winter isolation. The mission wasn't just about pouring concrete; it was about building a sustainable future. Over the years, soldiers helped pave roads, bring in running water, build greenhouses, schools and cultural facilities, and introduce medicinal herb cultivation and livestock breeding.

"The fine tradition of the military serving the people and the people supporting the military has long become part of life in Huining and is deeply rooted in the family traditions of its people, passed down from generation to generation," Sun said.

The aim was not simply to build infrastructure, but to help create a more sustainable way for villagers to make a living.

Sheep manure, for example, could be used to improve the nutrient-poor loess soil, while livestock breeding and crop cultivation could support each other.

But for Sun, the most meaningful evidence of change is found in people.

Nine years ago, many working-age villagers had left for jobs elsewhere because farming and sheep raising could barely support their families. The village was largely home to elderly people and young children.

Today, some young people are returning as livestock breeding and greenhouse farming create new opportunities.

Sun remembers an elderly couple in particular.

The wife had hypoglycemia and had difficulty getting out of bed. Her husband, already in his 80s, continued planting potatoes and corn. Eventually, he became too old to manage the harvest himself.

When the village Party secretary contacted the unit, Sun and his comrades came to help dig the potatoes and plant corn.

For Sun, it was a simple task, but one that stayed with him.

The couple live under the same roof with four generations of their family. Their children work in neighboring cities, including Baiyin and Dingxi. In the past, heavy snow could cut off the village for almost a month each winter. Now, improved roads have made it easier for them to return home.

The changes have also been felt in unexpected moments.

During a patrol near the Huining Assembly Memorial Site, a boy of about 4 or 5 years old knocked on their vehicle, crying because he could not find his mother. Sun picked him up and comforted him.

Using the vehicle's loudspeaker, the soldiers called for the boy's mother and eventually contacted police, who helped locate her.

When the mother arrived, she thanked the soldiers repeatedly.

For Sun, the child's instinctive trust was perhaps the clearest expression of the bond between the military and the people.

"We are in the place where the Red Army achieved its victorious rendezvous, and the spirit of our revolutionary predecessors is still with us," Sun said. "We should carry that spirit into our posts and actions, follow their example, and put our commitment into practice through hard work. For us, that means using our youth and dedication to protect this Red land."

His own Long March, therefore, is not a journey across snow mountains or grasslands.

It is doing his duty well, remaining ready when people need help and helping villagers build better lives.