Red history proves impetus for the future

A memorial in Tongdao, Hunan province, commemorates a pivotal event in the Red Army's Long March. [Photo/Xinhua]

Looking at history through visits to revolutionary sites will help people draw wisdom and strength from the Party's original aspirations and character, he said.

Xu added that such visits also offer people the opportunity to hear or review stories about the early revolutionaries.

As this year marks the 100th anniversary of the CPC's founding, Red tourism destinations in Hunan are exploring innovative ways to carry out Party history education campaign activities that give tourists the chance to read and think about history at the sites closest to the events.

At 6:50 am on April 9, a special train departed from the railway station in Huaihua, a city in southwest Hunan, carrying more than 500 CPC members on a trip to Tongdao Dong autonomous county.

On the train, the Party members listened to revolutionary stories and sang revolutionary songs. At 10:15 am, the train arrived at Tongdao Railway Station, and the passengers visited an exhibition hall that commemorates a pivotal event in the Long March.

In 1934, a meeting in Tongdao, close to Hunan's border with Guizhou province, was convened to discuss the direction of the Red Army.

During the meeting, Mao suggested that instead of marching farther into Hunan, the force should change direction and head toward Guizhou, where the enemy's defenses were expected to be weak.

Passenger Su Wenzhen said, "I felt strong emotions during the trip. I think such an innovative method of revolutionary education is impressive and effective."

The train is expected to make 100 trips to Tongdao by late next month.

Wu Wenxue, former deputy director of the China National Tourism Association, said it is the call of the times to develop Red tourism, while the country's new development paradigm provides support for its development.

The new paradigm applies domestic demand as the country's economic mainstay, with the domestic and foreign markets reinforcing each other.

Speaking at a forum in November, Wu urged greater efforts to step up infrastructure construction near Red tourist sites, the promotion of smart Red tourism supported by artificial intelligence and exploration of a mechanism for the coordinated development of Red tourism among different regions.

Since 2019, Shazhou has invited several experts to hold short-term Red education classes in the village to better promote revolutionary history education. So far, more than 20,000 people have attended such courses.

According to Zhu Xiangqun, Shazhou's Party branch secretary, construction of a cadres' academy for revolutionary education in the village is near completion, and a branch of the Chenzhou Party School is under construction and due to be completed by next month.

"I hope Shazhou will become a national Party learning and education base. I believe that the future of our village can only get better and better," he said.