On October 10, 1935, Wang and 14 primary students left Huaian and began a 25,000 km journey that would take 17 years through 22 provinces and Hong Kong.
They had no formal school structure but continued their education by teaching each other, inviting guest lecturers and undertaking new activities such as filmmaking and choreography.
Luminaries who lent support include Chen Guofu, Zhou Fohai, Feng Yuxiang, Jiang Qing, Tong Lin'ge, Zhao Dengyu, Fu Zuoyi, Ma Bufang, Wang Luobin, Zhu Shaoliang, Chen Cheng, Zhou Enlai, Guo Moruo, Tian Han, Bai Chongxi, Du Yuming, Li Jishen, Zhang Fakui, Li Kenong, Liao Chengzhi, Liu Shaoqi, Chen Yi, Zhang Aiping, Huang Kecheng, Su Yu, Rao Shushi and Zhu De.
After the People's Republic of China was founded, Wang Dazhi first served as the president of Nanjing Xiaozhuang Normal College, his alma mater, which had been closed due to political reasons in 1930.
He then moved to Beijing to become the deputy director of Chinese Character Reform Committee (中国文字改革委员会) at the Ministry of Education and later to Hainan where he served as the Party Secretary of Guangdong College of Nationalities.