Red tourism reinforces Yan'an's place in history

The former base of the CPC during its formative years has become a huge hit with visitors from across the country

Yan'an, a city in the northwestern province of Shaanxi and the cradle of the Chinese revolution, is a popular Red tourism destination with a wealth of revolutionary sites.

During this year's Labor Day holiday, interest in Red tourism saw people visiting museums and revolutionary sites to recall the heroic deeds of the martyrs.

A report by WeChat said more than 40 percent of visitors to Red tourism sites during the holiday were born in the 1990s and 2000s.

Yan'an has worked hard in recent years to upgrade its revolutionary scenic areas and find creative ways to promote Red tourism and enhance people's travel experiences.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the government recently unveiled 100 classic Red tourism routes divided into three kinds: those that focus on the CPC's history and struggle; those that illustrate China's scientific and technological breakthroughs; and those that emphasize the country's achievements in poverty alleviation, rural vitalization and construction of an ecological civilization (a CPC-led concept of sustainable development).

According to the China Tourism Academy, more than half the tourists surveyed had noticed the use of innovative methods in Red tourism, such as creative settings in scenic areas, innovative introductions and communications, and the use of advanced technologies.

Official data show that from 2014 to 2019, the number of such trips rose from 140 million to 1.41 billion, suggesting that people are increasingly eager to learn about the country's revolutionary history.

According to the Yan'an government, the city saw more than 40.25 million tourist visits in 2016, with the figure rising to 73.08 million in 2019.

Meanwhile, over the same period, the city's tourism revenue rose from 22.8 billion yuan ($3.5 billion), to 49.5 billion yuan.