Red tourism in Sichuan heats up: young people become the “main force” at the Long March Memorial Site

China News Service, Ganzi, October 5th (Yuan Mou Zhibo) In the early morning of the 5th, at the head of the Luding Bridge in Ganzi, Sichuan, the morning light penetrated the mist and sprinkled on the 13 iron cables, and the Dadu River surged and roared under the bridge. There is a long queue of tourists waiting to get on the bridge, and most of the queues are young faces. Chen Yuxuan, a college student from Chongqing, stepped onto the bridge. The bridge swayed slightly under his feet. He took out his mobile phone and took a short video. The caption read: "Only now do I understand that the "Cold Crossing Iron Cables of Dadu Bridge" in the textbook is so thrilling."

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March. During the National Day holiday, red tourism at iconic Long March attractions such as Luding Bridge in Sichuan, the Memorial Hall of the Red Army’s Capture of Luding Bridge, and the Yihai Alliance Memorial Hall continued to heat up. According to statistics from the Luding County Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, on the first day of National Day alone, the county’s main scenic spots received more than 44,000 tourists. Data from Tongcheng Travel Platform shows that users aged 18 to 35 account for more than 50% of its red cultural travel orders. Young people are becoming the main force of red tourism.

What attracts young people is not only the history itself, but also the ever-escalating "opening methods" of red tourism.

During the National Day holiday, a 100-meter-long National Day-themed giant five-star red flag was unfurled on the Luding Bridge. Actors walked out from among the tourists and sang excerpts from songs such as "Blessings to the Motherland" and "My Motherland and Me". The tourists stopped to watch and spontaneously sang along. At the Red Army Theater in the Red Army's Capture of Luding Bridge Monument Park, the stage play "Flying to Capture the Luding Bridge" brought to the stage the heroic scenes of the Red Army's day and night attacks and climbing ropes to seize the bridge. The sound of gunfire, shouts and the roar of the Dadu River are intertwined, and the audience seems to be taken back to the Luding Bridge in 1935, experiencing the life-and-death assault with the Red Army soldiers.

After the visit, there is a special experience - "Flying to Capture the Luding Bridge·Crossing the River" full-sensory interactive project uses digital technology to integrate VR large space, multi-sensory simulation, virtual and real registration and other technologies, allowing visitors to experience scenes such as rapid marches and rope climbing charges from the perspective of a Red Army soldier. "I used to learn about history from books, film and television works, but this time I 'walked' into history and I felt a lot in my heart." Wen Jie, a tourist from Beijing, said with slightly red eyes after "reliving" this period of history.

In Liangshan, in the exhibition hall of the Yi-Hai Alliance Memorial Hall, audio-visual displays tell historical stories. During the National Day holiday, on-site teaching activities for research and party building were held one after another. In addition to exhibition hall visits, red song check-in, national costume experience and other projects also allowed tourists to understand the power of national unity behind the Yi-Hai alliance in real scenes. After the "95" epidemic, his father Zhang Yu came with his young son to follow the red footsteps. “‘Re-walking the Long March’, I hope that children can understand through words and deeds that today’s happy life is hard-won,” Zhang Yu said.

"The Red Army's Long March lasted for one year and eight months in Sichuan. This period of transition was a key turning point for the Red Army to turn the corner and move toward final victory." Zhou Ruijing, a former second-level inspector of the Party History Research Office of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, said that the firm belief that "revolutionary ideals are higher than the sky" contained in the spirit of the Long March was the fundamental force that supported the Red Army through the long journey. In his view, the younger generation "walking into" the history of the Long March not only relives the glorious years, but also draws strength to move forward on the new Long March road.

From exhibition hall visits to immersive interactions, from study courses to real-life experiences, the younger generation is entering red history in their own way. As Chen Yuxuan said after getting off the bridge: "I used to think it was history in textbooks, but today I feel it is very close to me."