The Dadu is a swift and dangerous river, long associated with the defeat of armies that could not escape across it. For the Maoist Communists in 1935, crossing that river meant nothing less than the survival of their cause. This program documents the story of the Communist revolution in China, providing an excellent overview of the years before, during, and after the Party’s rise to power. In addition, veterans of the Long March recount the story of the legendary trek from which only 8,000 of the original 86,000 members survived: a yearlong march that took them across 18 mountain ranges and 24 rivers—including the perilous Dadu. (25 minutes)