British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomer visited China and praised that “the three major campaigns in the War of Liberation commanded by Chairman Mao are no less impressive than any great battles in the history.” However, Chairman Mao shook his head and said, “Among the military actions I have commanded, I am most proud of the Four Crossings of Chishui River instead of the three major campaigns.” Each revolutionary relic displayed in the Chishui Memorial Memorial Hall located in Tucheng Town of Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, has witnessed this history. Now, the staff in this Memorial Hall is exploring creative ways to develop cultural tourism and recount the red history of crossing the Chishui River for four times to integrate “red genes” into people’s daily life.

Redcultural relics present the history through technology.

In the Chishui Memorial Hall, there are many exhibits such as the plank used as a floating bridge in the first crossing, the rope binding the boats, the grenades found at the Qinggangpo battle site and so on. These relics witnessed the glorious history that the Red Army crossed the Chishui River for four times to get rid of the encirclement and interception of 400,000 enemy troops and achieved successful strategic transfer.

The development of technology and media enables the exhibitions to be shown on the Internet through VR so that the audience can experience immersive viewing through mobile devices. The offline exhibition also makes full use of technology to show the fierce battle scenes, develop an interactive game named “Breakthrough”, establish a system for visitors to experience the Red Army slogan writing, etc. More and more new technologies and media are used to narrate these lasting red stories. Cao Xingyan, the deputy director of the research office of the Memorial Hall, said that “members of the Communist Party of China develop a red spirit system with one-hundred-year exploration. I believe that the inspiring red spirit will always be an important part of Chinese values no matter how times change. It is also an important source of national centripetal force, cohesion, inspiration and spiritual vitality.”

Red cultural and creative products integrate “red genes” into life.

A cultural and creative products development group has been formed to tap into the spirit of four crossings of the Chishui River and create the cultural IP. Based on the promotion strategy and demands of audience, it has developed a number of creative products highlighting the spirits of Four Crossings of the Chishui River and Long March, including the “Tools for Writing National Proud”, commemorative coins, medals and commemorative postal products, among which the “Tools for Writing National Proud” and “Commemorative Medal of Chairman Mao” have become “star products” favored by visitors and people from all walks of life.

The “Tools for Writing National Proud” series include a lot of cultural and creative products such as brushes, pens, gel pens and pencils. This idea comes from the praise from British Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery who commanded the North Africa Campaign (1940-1943) and Normandy Landing (1944) in World War II (1939-1945). Now, developing red cultural and creative products is a new path to integrate red genes into the production of cultural products and people’s daily life.

Red cultural tourism is a new exploration of the red cultural industry.

The Chishui Memorial Hall is playing a leading role in “red cultural tourism”. If visitors are interested in the history after seeing the relics displayed in the memorial hall, they could read the red cultural books in the “Proud Chapters” Bookstore to explore those old days. If they are looking around on the Long March Street, they could go into the “Tools for Writing National Proud” Store to buy creative pens. Or, if they come to the “Time-Travel Post Office”, they could send a postcard printed with red sites to their friends or writing some words to send to themselves 20 years later. In addition, a lot of exquisite inns such as Red Manson, Riverside Compound, and Zizhou House, are built at Tucheng Town. The visit to theme inns, cultural and creative stores, and tea houses give tourists opportunities to experience the red culture unconsciously.

There were only two or three family inns, four or five small restaurants and no souvenir store at this ancient town before the opening of the memorial hall. Now, within the town of less than 3 square kilometers, there are 4 upscale inns, 16 exquisite inns, and 112 ordinary family inns. Also, there are 253 specialty stores, including 13 exclusive stores selling sweet potato cookie, and 24 local food stores selling tea, fermented bean curd, honey produced by wild bees, sun-shape noodles, and brown sugar. In addition, facilities such as visitor reception centers, parking lots, and food streets have been built here, making this revolutionary land even more tourists-friendly.