A view of cave dwellings where communist revolutionaries lived in the 1930s and 1940s in Zaoyuan of Yan'an, Shaanxi province, Aug 26, 2017. [Photo/IC]

Tourist draws

In 2019, the Yangjialing Revolutionary Site was listed as a national AAAAA-level scenic area, the highest level. The site was the venue of the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art in 1942 and the CPC's Seventh National Congress in 1945. Tourists can also visit the former offices of the CPC Central Committee in Yangjialing.

Hou Zhenlong, director of the Yangjialing Revolutionary Site management office, said they started improving the surrounding environment in 2015, with infrastructure upgrades such as a new tourist center and a parking area to better serve visitors.

The information presented by tour guides has been improved, and the exhibits on display have been upgraded.

The office has also established accounts on popular social media platforms such as WeChat and Douyin to promote historical stories via articles and short videos. Every week, the tour guides are encouraged to use the platforms to share their thoughts about related books they have read.

The administrators are planning to work with a number of businesses to present livestreams for the companies' workers overseas, so they can learn about Yangjialing's history remotely.

Last year, they established a training center to provide one-day tours offering Party classes taught by experts, which is a popular Party-building activity. There are also two or three tour guides to introduce Yangjialing's revolutionary history from different viewpoints and with specific themes.

Hou said many tour groups comprise adults, who attend the Party classes, while middle school students take study tours.

"It's essential to attract tourists via interactive experiences. We are striving to use creative ways to promote Red culture, such as cartoons and cultural products," he said.

Hou added that the team is working on an augmented reality experience so visitors can scan a QR code and view a 3D cartoon about a child Red Army soldier on their smartphone screens.

Qian Wenyan's daily routine involves offering visitors an hourlong guided tour of the Yangjialing Revolutionary Site. She guides four to eight tour groups every day during peak season, which runs from April to October.

Some visitors tire easily because of the hot weather during peak season, especially in high summer, so Qian gathers them under the shade of a tree and provides detailed information.