Full coverage: 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Red Army's Long March

This year China marks the 80th anniversary of the completion of the Long March. The Long March was a forced retreat by the Communist Party of China during the civil war against the Kuomintang, eventually leading to victory. It took two years for different forces of the Red Army to finish the strategic shift. The route took  the Red Army through remote regions, and extreme conditions. 80 years later, those areas have seen dramatic changes, and some still face challenges. Starting today, in a 9-part special series, CCTVNEWS takes you along today's Long March Route.

In our first episode, we take you to Yudu county in Jiangxi province, the starting point of the Long March.  Local residents are now turning to the clothing industry for new economic growth.

Zou Zaofa had been working in factories in southern China's Guangdong province for over 10 years. But in 2014, he decided to return to his hometown in Yudu county to start his own clothing business. Using his experience and skills, he now owns his own family workshop which produces pajamas.

"No matter how much money I earned elsewhere, coming back to my hometown was always my dream. Now my family workshop employs 280 local residents. It's beneficial both to the locals and my business," Zou said.

Zou's grandfather was a soldier in the Red Army, who sacrificed his life during the Long March.

"There are tens of thousands of descendants of Red Army soldiers like me in Yudu county. No matter what they are doing, we all bear the spirit of the Long March in mind. That is to be brave, to embrace challenges and to be innovative," he said.

In the past, most of people from Yudu county sought opportunities in southern Guangdong province, but now a growing number of businessmen like Zou Zufa decided to go back to Yudu county and start their own businesses in the clothing industry.

There are around 1 million people in Yudu. Most of them used to work in agriculture but now many of the young workers are finding opportunities in the emerging clothing sector. A number of big investors have built factories in Yudu. Xiao Zhiyong's company is one of the largest enterprises, and it is expected to offer 5000 jobs for locals in the next few years.

"There are over 200-thousand talented workers working in the Yudu clothing sector, and the people here are very nice. The investment and business environment, efficiency of government -- everything is very convenient," said Xiao Zhiyong, administration supervisor, Eeka Fashion.

In 2015, the clothing sector accounted for over 30 per cent of Yudu's total economy. From manufacturing to building their own brands, they know there will be a long way to go, but as the spirit of the Long March is passed from generation to generation, they have the confidence to march forward.