CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, March 30, 2021 | 17 LIFE Left: The site of the Zunyi Conference in Guizhou province is the region’s most popular red tourism spot. YOU YOUHAI / FOR CHINA DAILY Right: Performers play ethnic music to welcome tourists at the entrance of a Dong village in Zhaoxing, in Guizhou’s Liping county. ZHANG LIN / FOR CHINA DAILY Guizhou celebrates its Long March history Province preserves sites and artifacts from significant period in time, integrating them with local culture, report Yang Jun in Guiyang and Yang Feiyue in Beijing. n southwestern China, Gui- time and combined it with local Kuomintang troops from January PATH TO GLORY zhou province was an impor- Path to glory Dong ethnic culture to develop its to May 1935. It was one of the most tant site during the Long MAPPING red tourism. brilliant military moves by the Red March. This was where the PROGRESS In 2009, the county government Army during the Long March, and IRed Army recuperated and went built a memorial hall opposite the a great example of the disadvan- from setbacks to victory. From Sep- across the country over the years site of the Liping Conference. Visi- taged gaining the upper hand. tember 1934 to April 1936, the army for the historical significance of its tors can view historical items and Xishui was the main battlefield trekked across more than 60 cities, red tourism. Tourists can relive the buildings at the site. Nearby, visi- where the four Chishui River cross- counties and districts in Guizhou, Long March days of the Red Army tors can also choose to pick tea ings took place. The county built a leaving behind a trail of rich history by appreciating the large number leaves and appreciate Dong music memorial hall in 2006 in Tucheng for future generations. of cultural relics, precious historical in the neighborhood. ancient town where the first cross- Today, Guizhou is a place filled objects, photos and documents that This past Spring Festival, the ing happened. A cluster of muse- with red culture, in which its red are on display at the historical sites. Qiaojie red tourism zone that ums covering an area of 15,000 tourism industry focuses on tours Red tourism in the city contin- houses the Liping Conference site square meters was also developed, exploring the history of the Com- ues to grow. During this year’s and former residences of histori- integrating local red culture with munist Party of China before the Spring Festival, the revolutionary cal figures, such as Mao’s, had folk art and customs. To date, founding of the People’s Republic memorial halls and related cultur- 45,000 tourist visits and earned 43 Tucheng boasts a well developed of China in 1949. al and museum sites received Above: A chorus performs the Grand Song of Dong, classified as a million yuan ($6.57 million) in red tourism industry with tourist Along with Guizhou’s magnifi- about 440,000 visitors, accounting World Intangible Cultural Heritage, in Liping. Bottom: The memorial revenue. sites such as the Female Chinese cent natural landscape, the prov- for 19.3 percent of all tourists in the hall in Xishui county, the site of a key battle during the Long March Local authorities are now work- Red Army Museum and the Qing- ince has become an ideal place for city, according to the local culture, in the 1930s. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ing on upgrading the Liping Con- gangpo battle site that are popular red tourism. sports and tourism bureau. ference site and memorial hall, and among tourists. There are also a Local authorities have tapped The site of the Zunyi Conference ary history. There are a large Liping will set up folk cultural museums number of unique facilities that into the province’s Long March his- is the most popular red tourism number of cultural relics, precious On Dec 18, 1934, the Political on Qiaojie street, says Yang Zuhua, showcase local culture such as the torical significance and integrated spot, with more than 4 million historical pictures and documents Bureau of the Communist Party of an official with the Liping Confer- ancient salt trade. it with ethnic, cultural and ecologi- tourist visits a year. at the site, vividly reliving the China Central Committee held a ence Memorial Hall. At the battle experience park, cal elements, fueling red tourism From Jan 15 to 17, 1935, the Polit- course of the Long March. meeting in Liping county that This is in response to the coun- tourists can engage in role play and development over the years. ical Bureau of the Communist Par- The site uses information tech- affirmed Mao’s plans. They gave up try’s call for developing a national experience scenes of past battles, According to the local govern- ty of China Central Committee nology and an artistic approach to the original plan of going north to Long March cultural park. while enjoying modern tourism ment, many red tourism spots in held the Zunyi Conference to solve recount historical moments and Xiangxi to join two other Red “We should strengthen excava- elements. Guizhou have seen sharp rises in the most urgent organizational offer immersive experiences. Army troops, and established a tion and organize the ancient city The Xishui county government tourist numbers, especially this and military problems faced by “The scenes in the video were new base at the border of Sichuan culture, so that the Long March has also continued to improve red past Spring Festival and National the Party. The conference estab- performed by special actors, using and Guizhou. This enabled the Red National Cultural Park has a ‘skele- tourism infrastructure over the Day holiday last year. lished Mao Zedong’s leading posi- phantom imaging technology to Army to avoid the danger of falling ton, flesh and blood’, and fresh years. Chen Zhao, deputy Party sec- Also, young people have shown tion in the Party and the Red Army, restore the scene of the Zunyi Con- into enemy encirclement and local culture,” Yang says. retary of the county, says the govern- increasing interest in red tourism, and saved China’s revolution dur- ference,” says Zhang Xiaoling, vice- paved the way for the Zunyi Con- ment has developed forests, with those born in the 1980s and ing an extremely dangerous his- curator of the site. ference. Xishui county wetland parks and cycling lanes to ’90s accounting for 40 percent of torical juncture. “The isometric stereo imaging of Liping authorities have pre- Under the command of Mao and enhance the travel experiences of all tourists. The Zunyi Conference site this scale is the first of its kind at served a large number of cultural other leaders, the Red Army tourists. opened to the public in 1955 and home and abroad.” relics and historical sites from the crossed the Chishui River four Downtown Zunyi was one of the country’s first facili- times and escaped the encircle- Contact the writers through Zunyi has drawn tourists from ties in memory of the revolution- ment of more than 400,000 [email protected] Patriotic site boosts rural tourism and helps educate visitors By YANG FEIYUE Many tourists would go on to tour roads connecting locals in Mao- tion Camp memorial hall. He is aged to join the cooperative and [email protected] the rest of Maodong after visiting dong. Garbage-treatment facilities one of the locals who have come grow fruit trees under professional the camp, especially during the and tourism infrastructure were back to the village for work oppor- guidance. Maodong villagers have grown spring and summer. nowhere to be found. tunities. The move has helped more than accustomed to tour buses arriving Unique folk dwellings are built Most villagers struggled to make His catering center often receives 130 rural households increase their over the years. against the mountain backdrop, a living and some had to work more than 1,000 tourists a day. income levels. Tourists are drawn to the Xifeng with red flowers and green willows away from home to support their During peak season, the catering The per capita income in 2018 Concentration Camp memorial hall, dancing in the warm spring breeze families. center can serve more than 250 reached 8,600 yuan ($1,314) at Mao- a revolutionary history museum in and a gurgling stream nearby. Then in 2008, the Xifeng Con- tables a day. dong. the village that sits in Guiyang city of When the summer comes, many centration Camp memorial hall “We are very optimistic about the In addition, the village works Guizhou province. The concentra- Chongqing tourists would come to opened to the public for free, and a red tourism industry in our home,” with flower companies to develop tion camp was the largest, highest- beat the summer heat in the small tourism town was developed right he says. cultivation of roses and peonies as level prison set up by the village. And all 1,100 beds in lodg- next to it. Liu says that he got tired of his life well as a variety of trees and bon- Kuomintang in 1938 and was abol- ings will be fully booked. Since then, great changes have away from home looking for jobs. sai. ished in 1946. More than 1,200 mem- Wu Jiaqi, who runs the Sanjia Inn taken place. A plaza covering an A few years ago, he brought back Liu Kaiyang is now fully focused bers of the Communist Party of in the village, has continuously area of 800 square meters was built, his savings and working experience on taking care of tree seedlings at China and patriots were detained improved the infrastructure and roads were paved, and street lamps and signed a contract with the the fruit picking garden in Mao- there, and 600 of them were tortured planted flowers to make his inn and trees were put in place.