Revolutionary heritage in cradle of the Chinese revolution continues to tell the CPC story

Yan'an, an iconic revolutionary base of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the cradle of the Chinese revolution, continues to draw visitors from across China and around the world.

Photo shows the scenery of rice fields in Nanniwan township, Baota district, Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Jia Kailu)

The CPC Central Committee was based in Yan'an, located in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, for 13 years from 1935 to 1948, leaving behind invaluable revolutionary heritage and a profound legacy—the Yan'an Spirit, which still empowers and inspires people today.

Hou Xiuzhen, an 80-year-old woman from Nanniwan township, Baota district, Yan'an, has been practicing and promoting the Yan'an Spirit for decades.

She was deeply influenced by her late father-in-law Liu Baozhi.

Hou Xiuzhen, an 80-year-old resident of Nanniwan township, Baota district, Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, rises from her wheelchair after an interview. (People's Daily Online/Jia Kailu)

Back in the 1940s, Liu, then a deputy company commander in the Chinese Eighth Route Army, worked with his comrades in a large-scale production campaign, transforming Nanniwan from a desolate place with a harsh environment into a productive oasis.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu declined a job offer in the city's downtown area, and chose to stay in Nanniwan. He continued to work the land and share the stories of Nanniwan and the CPC until his death in 1984.

Hou, who served as village leader and official of the township government, spearheaded efforts to improve the area's infrastructure and environment.

Photo shows a performance of a revolution-themed stage play titled "Yan'an, Yan'an". (People's Daily Online/Jia Kailu)

Under her leadership, a primary school was built in Nanniwan in 1982, saving local children from the difficulty of wading across a river and walking 2.5 kilometers to attend school.

In the late 1990s, she led villagers in reforesting barren hills, greatly improving the ecological environment.

Today, Hou shares the stories of Nanniwan and the CPC with visitors eager to learn about the glorious course and history of the CPC.

"As long as I can move, I will continue telling the stories to more people," she said.

In addition to narratives from local residents like Hou, who have witnessed and personally experienced the tremendous changes in former revolutionary areas, revolution-themed stage plays combining the local revolutionary culture and modern technology have also helped bring visitors closer to the memorable and extraordinary years of the CPC.

Photo shows a beautiful view of Baota Mountain in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Deng Nan)

One such play, "Yan'an, Yan'an", has been staged around 2,600 times since its debut in 2016. The live show, which dramatizes the 13 years of the CPC's revolutionary journey in Yan'an, touches audiences deeply with its portrayal of the revolutionary forefathers' perseverance and dedication.

Well-preserved revolutionary sites across the city are also popular attractions among visitors.

In early summer 2024, international students and visitors from countries such as Angola, Cuba, Vietnam, and Portugal retraced the footsteps of American journalist Edgar Snow, who wrote the book "Red Star Over China", shedding light on China's brightness and hope to the world through a rare and detailed account of the Chinese revolution 89 years ago.

As they visited the Bao'an Revolutionary Site in Zhidan county, Yan'an, they were struck by the simplicity of the conditions in the caverns where Mao Zedong and other top CPC officials lived.

"The conditions were difficult at that time, and there were no chairs to sit on, so they used tree stumps as substitutes," Cao Tingting, a docent, said emotionally in the cavern where Mao lived.

Photo shows Bao'an Revolutionary Site in Zhidan county, Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Deng Nan)

"It was in this very cave dwelling that Chairman Mao, sitting on a wooden stump, met Edgar Snow, the first American journalist to enter the revolutionary base area in northern Shaanxi for an interview," she added.

"Relying on one's own strength to solve problems and create a happy life—I think this is the essence of the 'hard work' in the Yan'an Spirit," said Pascoal Calunga from Angola. "As a foreigner in China, the happy China I see today is the result of the efforts of the revolutionaries. I hope this history will be seen by more people."

Photo shows cave dwellings carved into the mountainside in an old revolutionary site in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Lu Yang)

Yasef Calderon, from Cuba, mentioned that he would tell his friends that when visiting China, they should not only go to cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but also visit Yan'an to see the old revolutionary sites.

"They should understand how China gradually became a great country from that time onward," he noted.