Red tourism boom

The venue of the Gutian Meeting in Longyan, Fujian Province, on March 28. The 1929 meeting established the principle of absolute leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over the army
Tourists visit a museum commemorating a battle in the liberation of Hainan in 1950, in Lin'gao County of the island province on March 30
Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site in Yan'an, Shaanxi Province, on March 30. Between 1944 and 1947, this was home to the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee
Yangjialing Revolutionary Site in Yan'an, on March 30. It was the seat of the CPC Central Committee from 1938 to 1947
Veteran Wei Tieliang recounts stories of the people's heroes to students visiting a memorial honoring revolutionary martyrs in Jinan, Shandong Province, on April 3

With the arrival of spring, China has seen a revival of tourism in general and red tourism, the latter a reference to visiting sites of significance in the history of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Some 102 million domestic tourist visits were made during the Qingming Festival holiday on April 3-5. Many of these visits were to red tourism destinations, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Mourning the deceased and paying homage to martyrs have been traditions on the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day. This year marks the centennial of the CPC and a campaign promoting the study of Party history saw lift-off. Many revolutionary sites offer tour packages combining CPC-themed activities with sightseeing, where tourists can both learn more about the CPC's history and enjoy the beauty of nature.

The marked increase in red tourism sees its reflection in data released by online travel agency Tongcheng-eLong. Flights to red tourism destinations account for 15.6 percent of all air travels booked through the agency for the Qingming Festival holiday and the upcoming May Day holiday on May 1-5. It represents an increase of 4 percentage points from the same period in 2019. According to the agency, 57.3 percent of visitors to such destinations are aged between 20 and 39. BR

(Photos by Xinhua News Agency)

Copyedited by G. P. Wilson

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