Wang Quanying, believed to be the last surviving female participant of China’s Long March, passed away on July 22, 2026, at the age of 105. Born Wang Guixiang on June 23, 1921, in Jinchuan county, Sichuan province, she was orphaned at an early age and raised by an uncle before enduring harsh conditions as a domestic servant. Her early life under a wealthy employer was marked by mistreatment, until the arrival of the Communist Red Army’s Fourth Front in her hometown in 1935.

At 14, Wang was initially wary of the Red Army troops, who were largely composed of peasants and workers engaged in a strategic retreat across China known as the Long March. Inspired by their discipline and behavior—particularly the conduct of female officers—she soon began attending their gatherings and eventually joined the cause. She served in the Women’s Independent Regiment, performing roles as a guide, cook, nurse, and soldier. During the year-long trek, she carried a weapon, participated in military activities, and utilized traditional herbal remedies to treat wounded soldiers when medical supplies were scarce.

The Long March itself, undertaken from October 1934 to October 1935, covered roughly 6,000 miles as Communist forces fled the Kuomintang (Nationalist) troops through difficult terrain from Yudu in Jiangxi province to Shaanxi province in the northwest. Though often romanticized as a heroic epic, the retreat proved devastating, with the majority of the initial 90,000 soldiers either killed, captured, or deserting. However, it ultimately established Mao Zedong’s leadership within the Chinese Communist Party.

By March 1936, Wang’s unit was engaged in combat in Danba county, Sichuan, facing the Kuomintang’s 24th Army. After a retreat was forced by damaged infrastructure, she found herself separated from her comrades. She survived over a month traversing snow-covered mountains on foot, enduring severe frostbite that led to the loss of a toe. Unable to rejoin the army or return home, she concealed her identity and settled in Sanjiang, Wenchuan county, living as a peasant.

Wang’s contributions during the Long March became publicly recognized only in the 1980s, when a government effort sought to identify veterans who had been separated from their units. She was granted official veteran status, receiving welfare benefits and medical care. Over the ensuing decades, Wang was honored with commemorative medals and invited to share her story, including in a 2022 documentary series produced by China Central Television.

Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, she changed her name to Wang Quanying, symbolizing her respect for all Red Army soldiers. She married Liu Fuguang and had five children, two of whom survived into adulthood. Wang spent much of her later life in Dujiangyan city, maintaining sharp eyesight and a commitment to crafts and community service. She attributed her longevity to a positive mindset, vegetarianism, compassion, and a dedication to good deeds.

Wang Quanying’s legacy represents both the hardships and resilience of those who endured one of the most arduous and pivotal episodes in China’s revolutionary history.