In Yudu county, Jiangxi province, efforts to revitalize the history of the Long March are taking on new forms as immersive performances and interactive experiences draw increasing numbers of visitors, particularly younger audiences. The Long March, a strategic retreat undertaken by the Communist Party of China between 1934 and 1936, began in Yudu, where more than 86,000 members of the Central Red Army crossed the Yudu River in October 1934.
A central site to this history is He House, where Chairman Mao Zedong stayed just weeks before the march commenced. Nearby, the Dongmen Ferry remains a symbolic departure point. At that time, due to the absence of a bridge, local residents constructed temporary pontoon crossings using boats and timber each night to allow the army to cross the wide river. These crossings were then dismantled each daybreak.
On September 26, participants in period costumes recreated the departure scene with a performance titled "Farewell at Dongmen Ferry," drawing connections between past and present. Among the performers was Wang Huiqun, a retired local resident whose father was a Red Army veteran. Wang, who grew up hearing accounts of her father’s experiences, said that participating in the reenactment deepened her understanding of the sacrifices made during the march. She expressed a desire for younger generations to appreciate the hardships endured by their predecessors.
Visitors have also responded positively to the shift from traditional displays toward more engaging formats. A visitor from Guangdong province, Hu Changqun, reflected on the power of experiencing the site in person. After touring historical landmarks including He House and the local museum, Hu noted that standing near a recreated pontoon bridge helped create a tangible link to the events of 92 years ago.
Yudu county has expanded its approach to presenting history, employing a range of technologies such as artificial intelligence animation, virtual and augmented reality, alongside live performances. Xie Hui, head of the county's bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism, highlighted that these interactive methods allow visitors—especially students—to move beyond observation and actively participate. Visitors often don Red Army uniforms to join in the performances, enhancing emotional engagement and historical understanding.
This strategy appears to be contributing to a growing interest in “red tourism” within the region. Yudu registered nearly 11.7 million tourist visits in the first eight months of the year, up 8.3 percent from the previous year, with tourism revenue reaching approximately 10.7 billion yuan ($1.59 billion), reflecting a 7.3 percent increase. This trend extends to Ganzhou, the prefecture-level city overseeing Yudu, where red tourism visits are projected to rise from 41.94 million in 2023 to over 53 million in 2025, marking a more than 26 percent growth.
Zhong Min, head of Yudu’s Red heritage protection and development center, emphasized that immersive programs have transformed how young people engage with the Long March. “The biggest change is that students have gone from hearing the story to becoming part of it,” Zhong remarked, underscoring the county’s evolving strategy to connect historical legacy with contemporary audiences.