Red Army heritage fuels rural vitalization in Xifeng's village

As 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the Red Army's victory in the Long March, a village in Xifeng county, Guiyang city, is transforming its revolutionary heritage into a driver of rural revitalization and tourism.

In late March 1935, after completing the famous Four Crossings of the Chishui River, the Red Army crossed the Wujiang River at Qianben village in Liuchang town, successfully breaking through the encirclement of hundreds of thousands of Kuomintang troops.

Now, a memorial monument preserves the historic site, while the village has embraced new opportunities through specialty fruit farming and summer retreat tourism.

Liuchang town is home to a wealth of revolutionary heritage. Historic sites include the place where Red Army martyrs fell at Meiliangkeng, the former temporary command post at Ma'anshan, and the Datang Ferry Crossing.

Qianben village is developing a tourism site integrating themed exhibitions, patriotic education and cultural tourism based on an investment of 33.74 million yuan ($4.98 million). The project aims to combine revolutionary history with rural tourism through immersive study tours and educational experiences.

In recent years, local residents have converted vacant houses into homestays to accommodate a growing number of visitors. "More and more people are coming here every year, and my homestay will soon be ready to welcome guests," said villager Liu Chao.

The town is also capitalizing on the favorable natural conditions along the Wujiang River – including low elevation, abundant sunshine and plentiful rainfall – to develop a thriving specialty fruit industry. Villages along the river, led by Qianben, grow citrus fruits, grapes, and pears, generating more than 70 million yuan in revenue in 2025.