JOURNEY TO HISTORY
The Pagoda Mountain light show in Yan'an, Shaanxi province creates a festive atmosphere on the 15,000-square-meter cliff wall to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, April 27. It is currently the biggest multimedia landscape light show in China with the largest projection area. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
The Communist Party of China celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The number of root-seeking visitors to Yan'an in northern Shaanxi province, where Chairman Mao Zedong and his comrades lived and worked, have greatly increased in the past months. Tourists across the country are eagerly searching for the original intentions and spirits of the communists on this red fertile soil, and they are constantly forging their ideals and beliefs, because good life needs to be accumulated and self-motivated, so that the people can set sail for the Chinese Dream.
In October 1935, the Central Red Army, which departed from Yudu, Jiangxi province, finally arrived at the Northern Shaanxi Revolutionary Base in Yan'an after untold hardships. From here, the Red Star illuminated China. In northern Shaanxi, the Party Central Committee held the Wayaobao Conference to determine the principles and policies of the national united front against Japanese aggression; the Chinese People's Red Army Vanguard Troop Against Japanese Aggression crossed the Yellow River and marched eastward; the people's armed forces led by the Communist Party of China became the mainstay in the War of Resistance Against Japan Aggression (1931-45).
Yan'an is the terminus of the Long March, the holy land of the Chinese revolution, and the symbol of the red spirit. The proletarian revolutionaries attained the goal of "ample food and clothing" on this loess plateau in the northwest by using their own hands. They fought hard against hostile forces at home and abroad, and finally won victory. Yan'an, poor and barren in the past, now hosts tall buildings and the naked soil is covered by green trees. However, the spirit of Yan'an has not faded in the slightest. Increasingly more people choose to come to this revolutionary holy city to relive the unforgettable years of the past.
Visitors here have a unique sense of ceremony. Some of them wear Party emblems and carry Party flags, and solemnly recite the oath of joining the Party; some wear Red Army uniforms to pay respect to the revolutionary spirit. The red marks everywhere are living textbooks, allowing people to perceive the pulse of history and the dynamism of the present, so as to further inherit the revolutionary tradition and strengthen their ideals and beliefs.
The site of the former office of the CPC Central Committee in Yangjialing was built by comrades on the spot by their own hands. Since it takes the shape of an airplane, it is also called the "aircraft building".In May 1942, the renowned Yan'an Literature and Art Symposium was held here with far-reaching influences on Chinese art.
Chairman Mao's Speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art pointed out that the essence of the popularization of literature and art is to enable literary and art workers to go among the masses. To integrate, they should study the language of the masses. This speech spread like a spring breeze throughout Yan'an, marking a profound shift in the literary and artistic creation of the revolutionary team.
History is the best teacher. In the few days of visits in Yan'an, visitors can have a deeper understanding of "Why the Communist Party of China can". Absorbing wisdom and strength from the history of the revolution, and continuously pushing forward the cause of the ancestors, are the best inheritance of the revolutionary spirit and the best acknowledgement to the revolutionary ancestors.
This red sacred land contains the precious spiritual wealth left by the revolutionary ancestors, and it nourishes future generations. In the past, an epic revolutionary chapter was staged in the hinterland of northern Shaanxi. Today, the people here continue to pass on the spirit of arduous struggle of the older generation revolutionaries.
The Phoenix Mountain Revolutionary Site is the former residence of the Central Committee of the CPC. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
At the Wangjiaping Revolution Site, tourists follow the local villagers to learn how to play the Ansai waist drum. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
Children in Beiliang Red Army Primary School play games between classes. Here, "Inheriting the Red Gene" is a major educational theme, allowing children to experience the hardships of the revolutionary ancestors, cherish the current happy life, establish lofty ambitions, and aspire to contribute to society. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
From left: Specialist Feng Bowen (middle) provides a history lesson in the General Office of the CPC at the Yangjialing Revolution Site, once the venue of the Yan'an Literary and Art Symposium; tourists browse through communist books; the portrait of Chairman Mao taken by Edgar Snow at the Bao'an Revolution Site. The American journalist is best known for his masterpiece Red Star over China. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY
