"The East is Red" was originally an "Immigration Song" written to the tune of "White Horse Tune", adapted and composed by Li Youyuan, a folk singer from northern Shaanxi.

Li Youyuan (1903-1955) was born in a poor peasant family in Jia County (now Jia County), northern Shaanxi, on the bank of the Yellow River. In northern Shaanxi, a place rich in folk songs, Li Youyuan has been accustomed to listening to the cheerful rhythms and infectious tunes of folk songs since he was a child, as well as the songs of people yearning for a better life. He has also accumulated rich experience in production and labor. Therefore, Li Youyuan knows how to use folk song forms to reflect people's lives, emotions and good wishes for life. In order to express his love for Chairman Mao and the Communist Party, he used the beautiful melody of the famous folk song "Riding the White Horse" in northern Shaanxi and rewritten it into "The East is Red", making "The East is Red" an immortal masterpiece. When it spread from northern Shaanxi, the cradle of the Chinese revolution, it became a household name in China and resounded throughout the world.

"Dongfanghong" basically follows the lyrics format and melody skeleton of "Riding the White Horse", that is: four sentences and one paragraph, and the falling sounds are re, re, re, and so. The first sentence has six words (divided into two short sentences of three words), and the remaining three sentences are all seven words. The third sentence has a backing tone of "Hu'er hiyo" at the end, which is followed by the fourth sentence. Due to changes in content, the speed, rhythm, and vocals have all changed accordingly.

In the early 1930s, farmers in northern Shaanxi were discussing a new topic enthusiastically in cave dwellings: "The Red Army is coming to us!" "Chairman Mao has come to northern Shaanxi, and we poor people now have I'm counting on it." Li Youyuan, who saw the Red Army in his dilapidated cave dwelling, couldn't calm down. He wanted to use folk songs to praise these people's troops who went to the anti-Japanese front line, these Eighth Route Army led by Chairman Mao and the Communist Party to save the country and the people! He thought about it every day and every night, even humming folk songs while walking. I compiled several songs praising the Party and Chairman Mao, but I always felt that none of these songs could profoundly reflect my and the people’s incomparable love for the Party and Chairman Mao.

While walking on the road one day, Li Youyuan suddenly saw the sun rising in the east. He suddenly thought that the wisdom and greatness of the Party and Chairman Mao were just like the sun rising in the east. The sun shines on the earth, warms the heart of every working people, and guides the people to move forward forever! Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh. In the evening, returning to his cave dwelling, Li Youyuan finally completed "The East Is Red" using the beautiful melody of the famous folk song "Riding the White Horse" in northern Shaanxi under the oil lamp.

In 1966, China's first artificial satellite was named "Dongfanghong-1". In early 1967, relevant parties determined that "Dongfanghong-1" would play the music "Dongfanghong". At 9:35 pm on April 24, 1970, China's first man-made satellite "Dongfanghong-1" was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Thirteen minutes later, the satellite sent back a signal from space, and this signal was the well-known music "The East is Red"! The music was clear and sonorous, and was heard all over the world via radio.