Yangshan Ancient Town International Military Tourism Resort

　　Yangshan Ancient Town International Military Tourism Resort is situated in the old revolutionary base area of southwestern Shandong, located in Yangshan Town, the northwest part of Jinxian County, known across China as the “Garlic Capital,” “Hometown of Integrity,” and “Hometown of Longevity.” The resort was formerly the Yangshan Martyrs’ Cemetery, established on the site of the Battle of Yangshan during the Southwestern Shandong Campaign. In 1947, under the command of Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping, the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army broke through the formidable Yellow River defense line and advanced into southwestern Shandong to launch the historic Southwestern Shandong Campaign. Among its battles, the Battle of Yangshan was the most critical and fiercest engagement. The victory in this campaign paved the way for the People’s Liberation Army to push into central China, advance into the Dabie Mountains, and draw the war into Kuomintang-controlled territory. It marked the shift from strategic defense to strategic offense for the PLA, representing a major turning point in the Chinese People's War of Liberation and creating favorable conditions for the eventual national victory. In 1952, to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Southwestern Shandong Campaign, the Jinxian County Party Committee and County Government built the Yangshan Martyrs’ Cemetery here. In 1997, with approval from higher authorities, it was renamed the Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial. Then, in 2009, based on the “Eleventh Five-Year” tourism development plan of Jining City and the tourism development blueprint of Jinxian County, the Jinxian County Party Committee and County Government fully integrated and utilized the rich natural resources, profound historical culture, and significant revolutionary heritage of Yangshan to establish the Yangshan Ancient Town International Military Tourism Resort.

　　The newly planned Yangshan Ancient Town International Military Tourism Resort features landscapes based on mountains, waters, and an ancient town, with military tourism and ancient town cultural experiences as its core themes. Supplemented by activities such as rural sightseeing, cultural exhibitions, and sports challenges, it is a military tourism destination catering to both mass tourism and the leisure needs of mid-to-high-end visitors. The overall planned area spans 15 square kilometers, with an estimated total investment of 2.24 billion yuan, developed in three phases. The main construction includes six functional zones: the Theme Cultural Memorial Area, Ancient Town Cultural Experience Area, Battle Simulation Area, Sports Expansion Area, Geological Park Area, and Agricultural Eco-Leisure Area. There are five main tour routes: war and military history, theme culture, ancient town folklore, sports expansion, and rural leisure. The ultimate goal is to develop it into a world-class military-themed tourism resort, a national red tourism destination, a hub for ancient town culture and unique geological features in the Su-Lu-Yu-Wan region, a site for experiencing the regional charm and local culture of southwestern Shandong, and a high-end residential and leisure area for Jining, Jinxian, and surrounding regions.

　　(1) Theme Cultural Memorial Area: Located in the central part of the resort, covering approximately 0.62 square kilometers, it is developed on the foundation of the original Yangshan Martyrs’ Cemetery. Leveraging the abundant red tourism resources in the area, it highlights and showcases military culture, Buddhist culture, and Han culture. Key constructions include the Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial, Jinxian Military Culture Museum, Wang Jie Memorial Hall, Armament Garden, and the restoration of Chongde Temple. The area focuses on developing red tourism and establishing a youth patriotism education base.

　　1. Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial: Covering 123 mu (approximately 8.2 hectares), with a total floor area of over 6,000 square meters, it consists of two sections: the Southwestern Shandong Campaign Exhibition Hall and the Panoramic Mural Hall of the Campaign. Utilizing modern technologies such as sound, light, and electricity, it presents the full process of the campaign from the daring crossing of the Yellow River by the Liu-Deng Army to the victorious conclusion marked by the Battle of Yangshan. The memorial displays numerous precious historical photos, telegrams, letters, and other revolutionary relics, including handwritten telegrams from Chairman Mao Zedong to Liu and Deng, a photo of comrades Liu and Deng taken after crossing the Yellow River, images from their advance into the Dabie Mountains, inscriptions from over fifty veteran generals and leaders who participated in the campaign (such as Liu and Deng), along with books, military histories, photo albums, audio, and video materials related to the Southwestern Shandong Campaign.

　　2. Jinxian Military Culture Museum: Covering 100 mu, with a total floor area of 4,500 square meters, it primarily exhibits significant events and achievements in military history associated with Jinxian and Yangshan, helping visitors understand the military and economic roles these places played throughout history.

　　3. Wang Jie Memorial Hall: Covering 66 mu, with a main building area of 3,000 square meters, it was built to commemorate Wang Jie, a heroic People’s Liberation Army soldier and beloved son of Jinxian. The memorial hall is grand in scale, standing 16.8 meters tall and stretching 84 meters in length. The main structure is supported by 48 pillars, symbolizing a sudden emergence and representing the moment when the hero Wang Jie sacrificed himself by throwing himself onto a live grenade. The exhibits are rich, well-documented, and innovative, featuring nearly 60 items and pieces of information never publicly released in the 45 years since Wang Jie’s sacrifice. Many lesser-known historical materials are displayed, with realistic and moving details. The exhibition incorporates many high-tech presentation methods, achieving a top-tier national standard.

　　4. Armament Garden: Covering over 30 mu, it currently displays weapons such as the Dongfeng-2 missile, T-34 tank, An-26 transport aircraft, H-5 bomber, and J-6 fighter jet. Applications for additional armaments are underway.

　　(2) Ancient Town Cultural Experience Area: Located in the southwest of the planned zone, encompassing the main body of Yangshan Ancient Town, this 1.58-square-kilometer area integrates ancient town culture with high-end residences. It mainly develops two functional areas: the Tourism and Trade Zone and the High-End Residential Zone. Drawing on the abundant ruins and historical sites of the ancient town, it showcases the long-standing historical legacy, explores local customs, restores historical shops and artisan workshops, and offers visitors a new experience of exploring antiquity, connecting with history, and understanding folk culture.

　　(3) Battle Simulation Area: Situated in the northwest of the resort, covering 3.09 square kilometers, it features the Thirty-Six Stratagems Theme Park, China War Park, and World War Park. These parks deeply illustrate the strategic wisdom from the ancient Chinese military treatise Thirty-Six Stratagems, compiled by the Southern and Northern Dynasties general Tan Daoji from Jinxian. They depict international and Chinese historical battles through varied presentations. Based on different terrains, it offers various CS battle simulation activities, including jungle warfare, mountain combat, urban street fighting, tunnel warfare, and water battles. Additionally, there are model airplane parks, orienteering treasure hunts, and water-based jungle exploration activities. Through visitor participation and interaction, it provides a taste of wartime strategy and increases military knowledge.

　　(4) Sports Expansion Area: Located in the eastern part of the resort, spanning 2.01 square kilometers, it consists of two parts: the Military Training Center and Quality Expansion Base. Leveraging existing resources and land, it builds a militia training base and conducts military training programs. Additionally, responding to the growing demand for self-driving tours, fitness, and expansion activities, it develops programs such as orienteering, auto camps, outdoor adventure bases, and go-kart experiences.

　　(5) Geological Park Area: Located in the western section, covering 0.76 square kilometers, the geological park features picturesque lakes and mountains with uniquely shaped rocks. Attractions include Cao Gong Pavilion, landscape bridges, tourist docks, lakeside roads, pedestrian walkways around the lake, and China’s longest millstone path. The mountain lake covers over 400 acres, dotted with small islands that complement the surrounding rocky shores to form a spectacular landscape of water, rock, and forest. The park is also surrounded by rare Han Dynasty tomb clusters, which hold high historical and archaeological value.

　　(6) Agricultural Eco-Leisure Area: Located in the northeast, spanning 1.52 square kilometers, it maximizes the area’s resource advantages to promote farming culture, showcase agricultural technology, offer rural life experiences, savor local cuisine, and enjoy pastoral scenery. The area will feature fruit and vegetable picking gardens, farmhouse inns, waterside markets, and leisure docks to provide visitors with a unique countryside experience.

　　As one of the “Five Major Development Sectors” in Jinxian County’s economic and social layout and a key municipal and county project, the resort officially launched development in June 2009 with the establishment of its management committee. Currently, the main projects of the first phase are nearing completion and will soon open to the public. The second phase has commenced, with some projects already underway. To date, the resort has seen a cumulative investment of 200 million yuan, with over 100,000 square meters of green space developed and 15 kilometers of new roads constructed. The Wang Jie Memorial Hall has been fully completed and is ready for opening. The Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial and Jinxian Military Culture Museum are undergoing final interior decoration and exhibit installations, expected to be fully operational by April. The ancient town section has completed 16,000 square meters of main construction and is set to open in October. The main hall of Chongde Temple has been finished. The Thirty-Six Stratagems Theme Park and Quality Expansion Base will soon begin construction.

　　With accelerating development, the resort continues to expand in scale, gaining increasing recognition and influence. Its role in patriotism education and revolutionary tradition education has become more prominent. It has become an important window for spiritual civilization in southwestern Shandong and a well-known red tourism destination. Each year, it attracts over 400,000 visitors. During this year’s Qingming Festival, visitor numbers hit a record high, with 350,000 people visiting in total, including over 200,000 on Qingming Day alone. It plays a vital role in educating the public, especially youth, about revolution and ideology. In 2009, it was named a “National Patriotic Education Base” and a “National Defense Education Demonstration Base.” In 2010, it was selected as one of the second batch of “National Red Tourism Classic Scenic Areas” by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance, and National Tourism Administration, and it successfully passed the national AAA-level scenic spot evaluation. In early 2011, it was included in the “Shandong Province Top 100 Service Industry Key Projects” and as a key provincial and municipal project for that year. Recently, it was honored as one of the “Top Ten Tourist Attractions in Jining City” by the Jining Municipal Party Committee and Government.

　　Address: Near the Yangshan Town Government, Jinxian County, Jining City

　　Business Hours: 9:00—16:30

　　Visiting Time: Approximately 3 hours

　　Resort Website: www.yangshanchina.com

　　Price: 40 RMB per person

　　Featured Attractions: Monument to the People’s Heroes, Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial, Armament Plaza, Wang Jie Memorial Hall, Military Culture Exhibition Hall, Geological Park

　　Guide Fees: Full tour guide: 100 RMB per session; Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial Park: 30 RMB per session; Southwestern Shandong Campaign Memorial: 30 RMB per session; Wang Jie Memorial Hall: 20 RMB per session; Military Culture Museum: 20 RMB per session; Geological Park: 30 RMB per session

　　Visitor Service Center: The resort’s comprehensive service center is fully equipped with facilities and offers thoughtful services. It includes computer touchscreens, video introduction systems, resting areas for tourists, and provides consultation, guided tours, complaint handling, as well as maps, tour guides, audio guides, and promotional materials. It also clearly lists fee standards and free services.