The government of China is promoting "red tourism" in the country, investing in the development of tourist attractions related to the Chinese revolution.

In the northern province of Shanxi, the government is trying to highlight the historical credentials of places from the revolutionary era. This move is designed to attract more tourists and boost economic growth, Xinhua detailed.

Like Us on Facebook

The headquarters of China's Eighth Route Army can be found in Wuxiang County in Shanxi. The place had accommodated Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, Peng Dehuai, and other older revolutionaries.

The Eighth Route Army was the armed group headed by the Communist Party of China in the Anti-Japanese War which occurred from 1937 to 1945.

Since 2008, the government of Wuxiang has put up a themed cultural park and hosted stage shows to narrate tales of war. It has also crafted travel itineraries that allow tourists to experience briefly life as a guerilla.

Last year, two million visitors had flocked to the northern Chinese province, drawn in by the red tourism program. The county government said the program has raised over $300 million (CNY2 billion) in revenue.

In 2013, China's central government allotted CNY487 million to promote red tourism. The civil affairs department had also shelled out CNY2.8 billion to build memorial sites. In addition, the country's transport departments have allocated CNY1.5 billion to develop roads leading to the revolutionary sites.

There seems to be a demand for sites commemorating revolutionaries, Wang Shumao, a member of China's tourism coordinating group, said. In this year's Tomb-Sweeping Day holiday, more than 30 million people had visited red tourism attractions.

Shanxi University professor Dong Jiang'ai said the educational aspect of the new tourism program should be used to fight corruption. He said this could happen when people start appreciating and learning from the sacrifices of these soldiers.

Red tourism sites in China are estimated to attract 800 million tourists every year beginning 2014. The program is also projected to bring CNY200 billion in revenue by then.

TagsChinese Revolution, Red Tourism