Zhuchang Red Army Village in Weishe Town

Zhuchang Red Army Village in Weishe Town

Zhuchang Red Army Village in Weishe Town is a classic red tourism destination.

Zhuchang Red Army Village in Weishe Town

Zhuchang Red Army Village in Weishe Town is located in the southwestern part of Weishe Town, about 3 kilometers from the town center. Xingwei Highway runs through the center of the village, which currently has 267 households and a population of 1,074. The village was once a stopover on the Red Army’s Long March as they headed west out of Guizhou. Here, the Red Army engaged in fierce battles with the enemy. Outside the Red Army cave in Zhuchang Village, Comrade He Zizhen was wounded while rescuing the injured Regiment Commander Zhong Chituan. This historical event has become a unique cultural highlight of Red Army Village. The Weishe Town Party Committee and government seized this opportunity and used the construction of a new countryside as a platform to actively develop red tourism in Zhuchang.

In line with the actual conditions of Zhuchang Red Army Village and fully integrating with the construction of a new countryside, efforts have been made to pave village roads, renovate existing houses with "dressing and capping" (aesthetic upgrades), and enhance the greening, beautification, and lighting of the village, laying the hardware foundation for the development of red tourism in Zhuchang. With the goals of promoting "civilized rural customs and civilized management," initiatives have been launched to improve the ideological, cultural, and ethical standards of local residents. Villagers have been encouraged to actively participate and manage themselves, creating a positive software environment for the development of red tourism in Zhuchang.

A comprehensive plan has been developed for the red tourism attractions in Zhuchang Red Army Village: developing the Red Army Cave and the former site of the Red Army radio station; constructing a Red Army Village Gate at the entrance to highlight the area's red tourism characteristics; repurposing the existing old village activity center into a Red Army Long March Memorial Hall; adapting the original central public gathering space in the village into a hardened and expanded Red One Square, with a Red Army Long March Monument erected there; building He Zizhen Square at the site where she was wounded, complete with a bronze statue of her; and creating a Long March Cultural Corridor along the walls of the village roads.

The promotion of Red Army culture is combined with folk culture, and red tourism is integrated with agritainment, forming a tourism atmosphere with dual characteristics: selecting and supporting the development of 1–2 agritainment venues with red features, and exploring local specialty cuisines that reflect red culture. Leveraging existing folk performance troupes, the Cultural Service Center has organized two village performance teams—one lion dance troupe and one folk art troupe specializing in flower lanterns, clapper talk, and money sticks. A variety of colorful folk cultural activities are held to celebrate the spirit of the Long March and the construction of the new countryside, forming distinctive tourism highlights.

Through cultural activities, the red cultural essence of Weishe is explored, and a positive social atmosphere is fostered: inviting the city’s Federation of Literary and Art Circles to visit Weishe, organizing a Long March literature symposium, and soliciting articles on Weishe’s red history; commissioning the Wanfenglin Magazine to produce a special issue on Weishe; and inviting the News Center to publish a book titled The Red Army Long March in Weishe, which will be released together with the special issue by the end of 2006.

Red tourism merchandise is being developed, including busts (or pins) of Chairman Mao, busts (or pins) of He Zizhen, small Red Army Village commemorative souvenirs, books such as The Red Army Long March in Weishe and Wanfenglin Weishe Special Issue, as well as services like renting Red Army uniforms for photo opportunities.