Red tourism nourishes spirit and economy

In Wuxiang, a county in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi province, the local government has built some "Red culture" experience tourism projects. The county is where the Eighth Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, an armed force under the leadership of the CPC during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, had stationed for years. The projects include a cultural park for the Eighth Route Army, a guerrilla war experience park, and a landscape opera show Taihang Mountains. Through this, travelers can experience the life of a soldier in the Eighth Route Army for one day, eating steamed millet, a staple food for troops back then, singing battle songs, fighting a guerrilla war game and watching war operas.

Gao Fengming, a local farmer who takes part in the performance of the Taihang Mountains, said the farmers enjoy taking part in such tourism projects, as it has set them "a big stage" to tell their own stories to tourists.

Wuxiang has held the Eighth Route Army Cultural Tourism Festival for eight years since 2011, and "Red tourism" has become a brand for the county. The catering industry is booming with the inflow of tourists. There are more than 50 hotels and inns in the county, and over 500 homestays run by local farmers. Collectively, it produces more than 40 kinds of tourism products.

He Hongyan, a researcher of philosophy at the Party School of the CPC Harbin Committee in Heilongjiang, said that the development of "Red tourism"－as the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035 have pointed out－has important meanings and functions in unifying the people's needs for better culture and strengthening the people's spiritual power.

As President Xi has stressed, the core of "Red tourism" is to conduct the "Red education", pass the "Red genes" and let the participants receive the "Red spirit". "Red culture "is the soul of "Red tourism" and an invaluable education resource.

Deng Zhaoming is a researcher of geography and resources with the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He suggests that the development of "Red tourism "should not only be integrated with the rural vitalization project, but advanced technology should be applied to improve the experience for tourists, as it is an information-intensive activity.

Deng said: "'Red tourism' should explore a path of integrated development as it is related to local farmers' livelihoods, education of visitors, application of technology, operation of business and industry, and exploration of historical resources."

Huo Yan, Sun Ruisheng, Li Ziyu, Heng Junchang and Li He contributed to this story.