Yiyuan Apple Valley

Yiyuan Apple Valley

Yiyuan Apple Valley is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a classic red tourism destination.

The Apple Valley scenic area adopts a "company + cooperative + farmer" model, with the government providing subsidies as rewards. The planned total investment is 4.5 million yuan. The park’s development fully integrates the landscape features of Gaochang Village and its surrounding areas, striving for an authentic rural experience. Ten new mu of land have been acquired, the entrance gate of the China Grand Orchard has been completed, 1,200 meters of roads have been paved, and over 300 meters of stone-paved paths have been laid using stones dismantled from relocated households during the old village renovation. A 500-meter section of the river has been treated for seepage and developed into a water scenic area, with 5,000 large coreopsis plants planted along both sides of the river. Four parking lots, each covering 200 square meters, have been built, along with one apple culture corridor. Nine sightseeing pavilions and one tourist service center have been constructed using original wooden poles and branches. Ten high-standard picking gardens have been developed, along with one ecological restroom with 20 squatting toilets. Two rest corridors and four swings have been set up under the flat willow trees in the scenic area. There are also two micro-scenic spots — Sister Springs and Mother-Son Spring — one Apple Playground, one Rocky Sea, and one Windmill House. Once completed, the project aims to attract 30,000 visitors annually, with each mu of orchard increasing farmers’ income by over 10,000 yuan. Since the completion of the China Grand Orchard Gaochang Garden, starting from the ripening period of Red General apples and continuing until the harvest of Red Fuji apples, a series of events have been held, including the “People's Daily Online Integrated Media Tour in Yiyuan,” the live broadcast of the Yiyuan County Apple Culture Festival sub-venue after the Red Fuji harvest, field visits by journalists from central, provincial, and municipal media to premium picking gardens, and the selection of high-quality apples in Zhongzhuang Town. The platform has also hosted multiple tour groups, self-driving tours, and individual tourists for autumn apple picking. It has been used to extensively promote Zhongzhuang apples, as well as themed activities such as apple customization, fruit tree adoption, and apple picking, achieving remarkable results. While expanding the park, safety measures and the protection of scenic spots and landscapes have been strengthened, with corresponding regulations established and designated personnel responsible to ensure the park operates normally.

Ma Yaonan

(1902–1939)

Ma Yaonan, originally named Ma Fangsheng, was from Beiwang Village, Third District, Changshan County (now Beiwangzhuang, Zhangfang Township, Zhoucun District, Zibo City). He was born on July 16, 1902, into a family of wealthy farmers and artisans. Ma Yaonan was intelligent and studious from a young age, introverted in character, and did not follow the crowd. At the age of 13, he entered Zhoucun Higher Primary School, and at 17, he was admitted to Jinan First Provincial Middle School. Although the school had many spoiled rich kids, he still wore simple cloth clothes and kept his distance from them. He was solely dedicated to his studies, especially passionate about English, and held Liang Qichao in high esteem. Influenced by the patriotic fervor of the May Fourth Movement... More details about Ma Yaonan++

Huang Hua, originally named Huang Jinshan and also known as Huang Weiyu, was born on February 8, 1911, in Liangshang Village, Fenghuang Township, Mushi Port District, Yangxin County, Hubei Province, into a poor farming family.

Yangxin, located in southeastern Hubei and bordering the Yangtze River to the east, was once the political, military, economic, and cultural center of the revolutionary base in southeastern Hubei during the Agrarian Revolutionary period. The land here is fertile, the produce abundant, and the scenery lush with green mountains and clear waters, earning it the reputation of the “Land of Fish and Rice in the South.” However, in the old semi-feudal and semi-colonial society, the “Land of Fish and Rice” was a paradise for the rich and a hell for the poor. The Huang Hua family, as the local saying goes, lived in “cold...” More details about Huang Hua++

Ma Tianmin (1910–1939), from Beiwangzhuang, Third District, Changshan County (now Beiwangzhuang, Zhangfang Township, Zhoucun District, Zibo City), was an anti-Japanese martyr and the third younger brother of Ma Yaonan. He dropped out of school at 15 and became an apprentice in Jinan. When he was 19, his father passed away, and he took over his father’s “Hengsheng Inn” tavern in Changshan, also running a grocery business. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War in 1937, influenced by his elder brother Ma Yaonan, he gave up business to join the military and participate in the resistance. He traveled around to raise funds and recruit personnel. In January of the following year, he formed the First Detachment of the Fifth Army of the Shandong People’s Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army and served as its captain, operating in... More details about Ma Tianmin++

Li Tianyou (1894–1932), courtesy name Huimin, was from Gaodu Village, Boxing County. In 1930, he joined the Chinese Communist Party after being introduced by Zhang Jingyuan, who returned to his hometown to carry out party work. On August 4, 1932, a massive peasant uprising broke out in Boxing, with the rebel force growing to over 700 members active along the borders of Boxing, Guangrao, and Linzi counties. Li Tianyou participated in the organization and command of the uprising. Due to the enemy’s brutal suppression, the uprising lasted only twenty-some days before failing, and the party’s work in Boxing subsequently went underground. Li Tianyou continued his secret activities under the guise of teaching in the Fanwang Village area of Xingfu... More details about Li Tianyou++

Ma Xiaoyun (1906–1944), originally named Ma Fanggao, was from Beiwangzhuang, Third District, Changshan County (now Beiwangzhuang, Zhangfang Township, Zhoucun District, Zibo City). He was an anti-Japanese martyr and the second younger brother of Ma Yaonan. As a child, he attended private school, graduated from Zhoucun Higher Primary School, and worked in farming while managing a workshop. Outgoing by nature, he enjoyed martial arts and socializing. In 1924, he went to Tianjin to join the Northeast Army, where he achieved numerous military merits and was promoted to deputy battalion commander before returning to his hometown. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937, he rallied like-minded individuals in nearby villages, actively promoting resistance against Japan and raising funds and ammunition. On the eve of the Black Iron Mountain Uprising, he gathered the supplies he had raised... More details about Ma Xiaoyun++