The Beijing exhibition Collected Artifacts of Founding Fathers celebrates the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army. Exhibits include letters, posts, weapons, paintings and wax figures. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

The third part hails the heroism and brotherhood of armies when experiencing hardships during wartime.

Leather waist belts once fed many Red Army soldiers when they ran out of food during the Long March (1934-36), a two-year military retreat to evade the surrounding Kuomintang army. One 77-centimeter belt used by military and political leader Ren Bishi is on show.

When his soldiers couldn't find grass or tree bark to eat, Ren suggested cutting off several sections from his belt. He told his guardians to first burn the pieces and then boil them in water to make them edible, and he shared them with soldiers.

"The smell could not be tasty at all. But Ren tried to be encouraging and said they could pretend they had been enjoying boiled beef," says Lyu.

The belt's remnants are on display. The cutting marks are still visible.

The last part traces the significant battles the CPC armies won before the establishment of New China in 1949.

"Reviewing the vicissitudes of PLA's past, one will find it impossible to forget those heroes, and one will feel inspired and ready to work hard for China's great rejuvenation," says Lyu.

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If you go

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays, through Sept 26. 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.