ThosewhohavewatchedthemovieRedRiverValleymusthavebeenimpressedbythebattlewhereTibetansoldiersandciviliansfoughtrelentlesslyagainstthewell-equippedBritisharmywithnothingbutbigmachete.Intheend,manyTibetansoldiersjumpedoffthecliffafterrunningoutoffoodandsupplies.Thisisbynomeansfiction,butwhatreallyhappenedwhenBritaininvadedXizangin1904forthesecondtime.WhatelseareworthrememberingapartfromthestoryofRedRiverValley?Let’swalkintothathistorytogether.In1888and1904,BritainsenttroopstwicetoinvadeXizang.Whywasthesecondinvasionlaunchedsosoonafterthefirstone?TheBritonsweredrivenbycolonialismandhopedtoexpandtheirillegitimaterightsinXizang.TheirultimategoalwastogettoLhasaandforcethelocalXizanggovernmenttosignatreaty.Todoso,theyhadtogothroughJiangzi.Jiangzi,nowacountyunderthejurisdictionofShigatse,usedtobeacrucialtrafficroutelinkingLhasaandIndia,anditwasthemostimportantgrain-producingareainXizang.OncetheBritishtroopsarrived,theyweremetwithintenseresistanceoflocalTibetansoldiersandciviliansfromnotonlyJiangzibutalsootherpartsofXizang,somemonksevenjoinedtheresistancearmy.Thesepeoplebroughtfood,tsampa,andusedprimitiveweaponssuchasfire-ropeguns,swords,spearsandstone-throwerstofightforoveramonthinZongshan,Jiangzi.Thefightwasfierce,weusedself-madeguns,bows,arrowsandspearsbuttheinvadershadcannonsandMaximmachineguns.Althoughtheyhadanabsoluteadvantageinweaponry,theywereshockedbytheundauntedspiritoftheTibetans.Afterthiswar,BritishinvadersnolongerdaretounderestimatetheresistanceoftheChinese.Waddell,aBritishofficer,saidthatalthoughtheyfinallywonthewar,asawitness,itwasridiculoustothinkthatTibetanscouldnotfight,andthatthebraverydemonstratedbyTibetanswasunparalleledintheworld.“Jiangzi”means“summit”inTibetan,itstandsforthesummitofvictory.Lookingbackathistory,onecanrealizehowharditwastogetthisfar.Lookingahead,abetterXizangisemerginginfrontofus.AfterthepeacefulliberationofXizang,especiallysincethereformandopening-up,Xizangandthewholecountryhaveembarkedonanewjourneyintoanewera.TremendouschangeshavetakenplacethroughoutXizang,includinginJiangzi.100yearsago,thepeopleofJiangziwereunitedintheirfightagainstimperialism;100yearslater,theyarestillinspiredbythatrelentlessfightagainstBritainintheirendeavorofbuildingarich,strong,democratic,civilized,harmoniousandbeautifulmodernsocialistChina.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.