A revolutionary tribute to the Long March

Battle scenes

Besides immersion indoors, some experience programs extend to real historical sites. About 50 kilometers from the site of the Zunyi Conference, Loushanguan Pass witnessed two major battles during the Long March.

Today, visitors wait in line to get a ticket to "join" the battle through a large-scale performance depicting the Battle of Loushanguan Pass. The production originally featured more than 1,000 performers and later evolved into an interactive experience in which audiences can step into the shoes of soldiers who fought decades ago.

Yao Dihua, the operations manager of the Loushanguan scenic spot, says the original site of the Loushanguan battle was on the mountain, while the performance is carried out outdoors at the base. Wearing army uniforms and taking up rifles, tourists can experience up close the battlefield scene of flying bullets and billowing gunpowder smoke while following their "commanders" in pursuit of victory.

"It is far more absorbing than reading history textbooks. Dressed in the uniform and amid simulated gunfire, I could almost imagine what the Red Army soldiers went through decades ago," Jiang Jun, a 40-year-old visitor, says after joining the performance.

In another project at Qingyan ancient town in Guiyang, Yao's team developed another role-playing program allowing visitors to experience the Battle of Shizishan at Qingyan, a key rearguard action in April 1935 that covered the Central Red Army's southward advance during the Long March. People participating in the program can choose their characters and are given different tasks to complete.

"Museum visits build basic understanding, and these immersive activities foster deeper emotional connections with history," says Yao.

Wang Zhi'ou, of the "Red Banderole" museum, says, "Young people grow up in an era of highly visualized and digitized media, and they are accustomed to building their understanding through films, interactions and experiences.

"We don't need to require them to understand history the way older generations did, but we must make sure that no matter how expressive forms change, the spiritual core of history cannot be altered."

At the exit of "Red Banderole", there is a message wall recording people's handwritten feelings after experiencing the venue. Some express respect for the soldiers, some convey how they are moved, and others share the inspiration they gain. Wang Zhi'ou says this shows that visitors not only reflect on what happened in history, but also on their own connection to it.

"This is the cultural transmission we want to see. The most important values embodied by the Long March — about ideals, faith, choices and perseverance — are still vital and should be passed on today," he says.

"That's why we hope our audiences, after gaining a better understanding of the past, can draw strength to walk toward their own future. If a young person, upon leaving our venue, begins to consider how their own path should unfold, I think we have done well in passing on red culture. That matters more than simply making them remember historical facts."