In April 1949, after the three major battles of Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin, the military balance between the Nationalists and Communists underwent a fundamental change. The People's Liberation Army, following the orders of Chairman Mao Zedong and Commander-in-Chief Zhu De to 'march toward the nation,' launched a large-scale strategic offensive against the vast areas still controlled by the Kuomintang, initially targeting the heavily fortified regions of Beijing (referring to Nanjing), Shanghai, and Hangzhou. On April 20, 1949, our million-strong army, divided into Central, Eastern, and Western groups, initiated the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign. The Kuomintang's painstakingly built thousand-mile-long defense line along the Yangtze River collapsed before the overwhelming offensive of the People's Liberation Army. The People's Liberation Army continued its victorious advance southward, capturing Nanjing, cutting off the Zhejiang-Jiangxi line, occupying Hangzhou, and pressing toward Shanghai. To protect the lives and property of the people of Shanghai and the city’s buildings, the PLA made careful plans and great sacrifices, finally liberating China’s largest city—Shanghai—on May 27. The film not only presents this magnificent and grand historical panorama but also fully showcases the significant events, important contradictions, and the occurrence and evolution of key moments in the historical context of major societal changes in China, along with key figures—the decision-makers, commanders, participants of historical events, and the 'living history'—...
