For visitors walking along Red Army Street in Hadapu, a town in Dangchang county, Gansu province, a must-see stop is a former postal agency where a newspaper helped change the course of the Long March.

In September 1935, after months of arduous marching, Mao Zedong and other Red Army leaders learned from reports in Ta Kung Pao that Communist-led forces had established a revolutionary base in northern Shaanxi province. The news helped them decide where to head next, turning the small town into a landmark in the history of the Long March.

"Visitors most often ask how the decision to head north was made, and why Hadapu is called a refueling station for the Red Army," said Zhang Jinqin, deputy head of the interpretation department at the Red Army Long March Hadapu Memorial Hall.

The answer, she explains to visitors, lies in the newspaper and the supplies the town offered troops who had endured hunger, illness, and the hardships of crossing mountains and grasslands.

After breaking through the natural barrier of Lazikou in Gannan Tibetan prefecture, the First Front Army of the Red Army arrived in Hadapu on Sept 18, 1935. Long known as a regional trading hub for traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, the town was bustling with commerce, with well-stocked markets and regular flows of goods and information. Its busy trade brought an ample supply of grain, salt, and other essentials, while its postal agency gave access to newspapers carrying news from beyond the remote mountain town.

Newspaper reports revealed the existence of a revolutionary base in northern Shaanxi. On Sept 22, Mao announced the decision to head north at a meeting of regimental-level officers in Hadapu town, setting the course for the next stage of the Long March.

Almost 100 years later, the story continues to bring visitors to the town. This year, which marks the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's victory in the Long March, Hadapu has received more than 800,000 visitors, Zhang said. She has welcomed visitors from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia.

Among them was Russian student Kirill Kravtsov, who visited Gansu for the first time on a four-day trip tracing the Long March.

"The street has a very lively atmosphere, with lots of small shops," he said. "We can see what the Red Army soldiers ate and wore, which helps us experience what life was like in that era and understand the hardships they went through."

Improved transport links have helped bring more visitors to the town, creating opportunities for local businesses. Hadapu recorded 390 million yuan ($58.3 million) in comprehensive tourism revenue last year, according to local figures. Live performances and study tours now offer visitors more ways to engage with the town's history beyond its preserved buildings and exhibits.

Wu Yuexuan contributed to the story.