Red Army Street in Zunyi, Guizhou: Inheriting red culture and rejuvenating the old street with new vitality

As night falls, the lights of the old town of Zunyi, Guizhou come on. Red Army Street is lined with local specialty products, red cultural and creative products, gourmet drinks and other shops. Continuing forward, the red old sites such as the Zunyi Conference site, the former site of the Red Army General Political Department, and the former site of the Red Army Zunyi Security Headquarters are reminiscent of those glorious years.

In January 1935, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held an enlarged meeting in Zunyi, which saved the party, the Red Army, and the Chinese revolution at the most critical moment. During the Long March, the Red Army stationed in Zunyi twice, and Red Army Street became an important area for military-civilian exchanges.

A street connects history and carries the present. In order to better inherit red culture and stimulate urban vitality, Zunyi unified planning and construction of Red Army Street in 2007, integrating red cultural display, local characteristic consumption, and tourism experience.

At the North corner of Red Army Street, in a small store, fragrant chicken cakes filled the counter. The owner, Tao Zhengli, is a native of Zunyi. When customers enter the store, he often picks up a piece of pastry for customers to taste, and tells the story of the history: "This is a traditional snack in Zunyi. When the Red Army soldiers stationed in Zunyi, the local people used warm chicken cakes to send sweet treats to the soldiers who were marching hard."

Tao Zhengli has been doing business in the Red Army Street area for more than 20 years. He has sold wine and tea, but his favorite is still chicken cake. "It connects the memory of the Long March and is also a business card of Zunyi." There are more and more chicken cake shops on Red Army Street. Tao Zhengli said with emotion, "If everyone works together to pass on the traditional taste, more people can feel the red sentiment of Zunyi."

Inheriting the old taste, red culture has a new expression. In 2025, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Zunyi Conference, the renovated Zunyi 1935 Block will be unveiled. The neighborhood connects Red Army Street, Zunyi Memorial Park and 1935 Square, where history, culture, red culture and modern leisure life blend and coexist.

With deep feelings for the red culture of his hometown, Wang Lang opened a red-themed cultural and creative store in the neighborhood, "Integrating red elements into stationery, home furnishings, accessories, souvenirs, etc., to make the history of the Long March tangible and understandable, and enhance the appeal and dissemination of red culture." His store attracted many tourists to check in and buy, and its single-day turnover during peak periods could reach 7,000 to 8,000 yuan.

Zunyi Old Town builds a 15-minute cultural tourism ecosystem around the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall, linking red memories, street fireworks and landscapes. In 2025, Zunyi 1935 Block will receive more than 2 million tourists, and more than 140 merchants will steadily increase their income driven by red tourism.

"Continuing the red blood and protecting the historical roots, this old street is glowing with new vitality." said Lu Changyou, former vice president of Zunyi Historical and Cultural Research Association.