8 | Wednesday, May 5, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY TREND Red tourism nourishes spirit and economy

Heroism and patriotism are spiritual legacy that will never be outdated

By LI YANG [email protected]

Guilin, a global tourist resort famous for its limestone landscape in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, received an important guest on April 25. Before sailing along its pictur­ esque Lijiang River where he stressed the importance of ecological preservation, President Xi Jinping visited the Xiangjiang River Battle Memorial Park in the Quanzhou county of the city. He paid tribute to martyrs of the Red Army who died in the battle against the Kuomintang forces in late 1934. After the bloodiest battle in its historic Long March, the Red Army was downsized from 86,000 people to 30,000. Xi called the battle a key historical event determining the life and death of the Chinese revolution. He said the Red Army soldiers’ revolutionary ideal and faith was not only the main motivation prompting them to press forward in war with indomitable will, but it acts as a spiritual legacy today to motivate the nation to strive for great rejuvenation. Xi’s visit has attracted tremen­ dous attention to the memorial park, which has become a must­see for tourists coming to Quanzhou during the May Day holiday from Saturday to Wednesday, locals said. There are many such memorial parks marking the heroic deaths of Children look on as an historical photo is recreated showing the Eighth Route Army soldiers based in Wuxiang county, Shanxi province, in the 1940s during the War of Resist­ the revolutionary martyrs across ance Against Japanese Aggression (1931­45) in Wuxiang. WU LIUHONG / FOR CHINA DAILY the country. There are also battle, conference and residence sites of the Communist Party of China for­ Eighth Route Army, a guerrilla war ces, the Party and the former Party experience park, and a landscape leaders that have been conserved opera show Taihang Mountains. and turned into tourist attractions Through this, travelers can experi­ and patriotic education bases. ence the life of a soldier in the People flock to these historic sites Eighth Route Army for one day, eat­ of significance to the Chinese revolu­ ing steamed millet, a staple food for tion and development not only to troops back then, singing battle enjoy the picturesque landscape but songs, fighting a guerrilla war game also to review the difficult and glori­ and watching war operas. ous struggles of the Party for the lib­ Gao Fengming, a local farmer eration of the country and the people. who takes part in the performance It is estimated that Chinese tour­ of the Taihang Mountains, said the ists will make 200 million domestic farmers enjoy taking part in such trips during the May Day holiday. tourism projects, as it has set them The fast rise of hotel reservations in “a big stage” to tell their own stories some “Red tourism” destinations to tourists. indicates this subset of tourism is LEFT: Students of the No 61 Middle School of Taiyuan city visit the Eighth Route Army Taihang Memorial Hall in Wuxiang. LI YONG / XINHUA Wuxiang has held the Eighth more popular this year, with the RIGHT: CPC members repeat the oath they made on joining the Party when visiting Yan’an, Shaanxi province, on April 25. ZOU HONG / XINHUA Route Army Cultural Tourism Festi­ approaching 100th anniversary of val for eight years since 2011, and the founding of the CPC. “Red tourism” has become a brand Data from multiple travel agen­ for the county. The catering industry cies show that, contrary to many is booming with the inflow of tour­ people’s expectations, about half of ists. There are more than 50 hotels the visitors to the “Red tourism” des­ and inns in the county, and over 500 tinations are below 40 years old. homestays run by local farmers. Col­ Wang Nan, a college student from lectively, it produces more than 40 Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province, kinds of tourism products. said heroism and patriotism will He Hongyan, a researcher of phi­ never become outdated. He often losophy at the Party School of the visits the Jiangqiao Battle Memorial CPC Harbin Committee in Heilong­ Hall in the city, which was built in jiang, said that the development of 2004 to memorialize the Chinese “Red tourism” — as the 14th Five­ people’s fight to resist the aggres­ Year Plan (2021­25) and the Long­ sion of the Japanese army in 1931. Range Objectives Through the Year “The fearlessness they demon­ 2035 have pointed out — has impor­ strated in the fight against strong tant meanings and functions in uni­ enemies to defend their homeland People visit the Xiangjiang Battle Memorial Hall in Quanzhou, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. President Xi Jinping visited the fying the people’s needs for better and freedom reflects the Chinese memorial hall on April 25 during his inspection tour in Guangxi. ZHANG WEI / CHINA DAILY culture and strengthening the peo­ people’s bravery and strength of ple’s spiritual power. character,” Wang said. As President Xi has stressed, the Experts said that young people are 11 percent of the 6­trillion­yuan the past 40 years, and particularly ces have been improved core of “Red tourism” is to conduct eager to gain knowledge about the ($925 billion) domestic tourism the poverty alleviation project tremendously, said Liu Gang, Party the “Red education”, pass the “Red history of the Party and the country, market. Competition for tourists between 2012­20, have delivered secretary of the township. genes” and let the participants as they adore the heroes whose faith The fearlessness between locations is fierce. great changes in these remote places. “The farmers insist their new hous­ receive the “Red spirit”. “Red culture” in dreams, the courage to pursue they demonstrated Some provinces, including Sich­ As roads connect to hamlets, the es should be built with red tiles and is the soul of “Red tourism” and an them and their spirit of self­sacrifice uan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Gansu, Shanxi inflow of tourists to explore the the outer wall should be painted invaluable education resource. are still relevant today. Meanwhile, in the fight against and Shaanxi, have collectively rec­ “hidden pearls” of battle and confer­ earthy yellow,” said Liu. “The red Deng Zhaoming is a researcher there are “Red tourism” fans among strong enemies to ommended their “Red tourism” itin­ ence sites in the mountains has stands for the Red Army and the of geography and resources with older citizens for nostalgic reasons. eraries and top tourist destinations brought with it not only money, but earthy yellow represents the villag­ the Institute of Geographic Scien­ Li Xiaoyong, a retired power defend their before the start of the holiday. knowledge and opportunities for ers’ memory of the shabby adobe ces and Natural Resources plant worker in Jinan, Shandong homeland and The reason why local govern­ farmers to see the outside world. houses built with mud and straw that Research of the Chinese Academy province, in his late 80s, likes visit­ ments are actively promoting local In Xiaohe township of Hanzhong, locals used to live in for generations.” of Sciences. He suggests that the ing old places of the city. They range freedom reflects “Red tourism” is that it represents Shaanxi province, where the Red Farmers there plant herbal medi­ development of “Red tourism” from museums to the air­raid shel­ the Chinese an effective method to increase the Army held its Xiaohekou Confer­ cines, grow mushrooms in green­ should not only be integrated with ters he used to help build. Jinan was income of people living near the ence to correct its commanders’ left­ houses, and raise chickens, bees and the rural vitalization project, but one of the first big cities the CPC for­ people’s bravery attractions. leaning adventurism in 1932, local pigs. The husbandry is not only pop­ advanced technology should be ces liberated in its civil war with the and strength of Many of the former revolutionary villagers have felt the difference his­ ular among the travelers but also in applied to improve the experience Kuomintang army in 1948. He said base areas of the CPC — not to men­ tory can make to their lives. A nearby cities, becoming a reliable for tourists, as it is an information­ “Red tourism” is more like a spiritu­ character.” tion the Long March that navigated memorial hall of the meeting source of revenue for locals. intensive activity. al journey to the past where old peo­ Wang Nan, a college difficult landscapes to elude the opened five years ago. Since then, In Wuxiang, a county in the Tai­ Deng said: “‘Red tourism’ should ple could find memories of their student from Qiqihar, Kuomintang army’s blocks, chases the small town has received about hang Mountains of Shanxi province, explore a path of integrated devel­ long­gone friends and relatives. Heilongjiang province and attacks — are located in remote 106,000 visits from civil servants the local government has built some opment as it is related to local farm­ “It is like paying a visit to your areas which are difficult to access. and Party members from across the “Red culture” experience tourism ers’ livelihoods, education of younger self, when the visitors can For a long time, the farmers who had country. As well as this, large num­ projects. The county is where the visitors, application of technology, think better of their connection given much support to the CPC lived bers of individual backpackers have Eighth Route Army of the National operation of business and industry, with the times and the world, as well difficult lives even after the People’s been pulled in by the history. Revolutionary Army, an armed and exploration of historical resour­ as the connection between the past Republic of China was founded in Thanks to the tourism museum force under the leadership of the ces.” and the future,” Li said. 1949. This was because of the harsh and the assistance of local govern­ CPC during the War of Resistance Tourism revenue is a crucial driv­ natural conditions and lack of trans­ ments, all 1,100 residents have been Against Japanese Aggression, had Huo Yan, Sun Ruisheng, Li Ziyu, er behind the robust growth of “Red portation infrastructure. lifted out of poverty. The basic infra­ stationed for years. The projects Heng Junchang and Li He tourism”. It now accounts for about China’s fast economic growth over structural facilities and public servi­ include a cultural park for the contributed to this story.