A revolutionary tribute to the Long March

Immersive journey

To understand why Guizhou has become a hub for red tourism, people need to look back in time.

Li Jun, a professor specializing in the history of the Long March at Guizhou Normal University, notes that the Red Army spent the longest time in Guizhou, operated across the widest area — covering 68 of the province's 88 counties — and witnessed many major events there.

"Such a rich concentration of Long March heritage provides fertile ground for Guizhou's creative red-culture productions," Li says.

Among the landmark events was the Zunyi Conference held in Zunyi in January 1935. At the beginning of the Long March, errors resulted in enormous losses to revolutionary forces. The Zunyi Conference corrected key errors and marked the beginning of Mao's leading role in the CPC Central Committee and the Red Army.

Today, this part of history is being told in innovative ways. The Great Turning Point, a large-scale immersive play about the Red Army, which is mainly set in Guizhou, has been performed at a theater near the original site of the conference since 2024. Audiences learn about the causes and effects of the conference and gain insights into the viewpoints of ordinary soldiers.

"Zunyi was a turning point in the history of the Long March, and we wanted to adopt a new way to showcase red culture to visitors," says Wang Liming, director of the marketing department of the company responsible for the play.

Wang Liming says the show adopts advanced theater technologies to create sound and visual effects. Its 360-degree rotating stage shifts between different historical settings, while one million liters of water beneath the stage is used to re-create iconic scenes including the Battle of the Xiangjiang River, the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, and the Crossing of the Jinsha River.

Yuan Dongtao, head of the tourism development department at Zunyi's culture and tourism bureau, says technology doesn't change the nature of red culture, but reconstructs the way it is showcased and enhances its attractiveness.

The performance has been staged more than 2,000 times, attracting over 800,000 visits, says Yuan.