Tourists learn about the stories of Hongsao during the revolutionary period at the Yimeng Hongsao Memorial Hall. [Photo/iqilu.com]

Red tourism, the term used to describe visits to prominent sites during China's revolutionary period, is gaining in popularity in East China's Shandong province, as millions of tourists chose to visit a number of "red destinations" in the province during the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, which began on Sept 13.

Some of these popular red tourism destinations included Yimeng Mountain, Zaozhuang, Jining, and Rizhao.

"It's both a relaxing vacation and an educational experience," said a visitor surnamed Wang who visited Yimeng Hongsao Memorial Hall on Sept 13.

Yimeng Mountain boasts a glorious revolutionary history. Local residents offered tireless help to millions of Communist-led soldiers during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the following War of Liberation (1946-49).

The local women were given the nickname "Hongsao," meaning sister-in-law of Red Army soldiers. They backed the Communist troops with their hand-made shoes and clothes, and also took care of the soldiers and officers, as well as their offspring.

Shandong province is home to many historical sites during the country's revolutionary period and aims to popularize red tourism resources.

In recent years, it has launched more than 20 classic red tourism routes, including red tours to the border areas of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, as well as red tour routes to Yimeng Mountain and tours to the Jiaodong area.

The railway guerrilla memorial hall in Xuecheng district of Zaozhuang was recently opened, which recreated brutal war scenes with modern sound and photoelectric technologies.

"It was very shocking and gave me an immersive experience of the horror and tension of war," said a visitor from neighboring Jiangsu province. "The most important lesson I drew from the war is that hard-won peace, tranquility, and stability should be cherished."

"I was born in the 1990s. I basically acquired revolution history knowledge through books, movies, and TV shows. Now when I visit the war ruins and revolutionary historical sites, as well as listen to the tour guide's explanation, I always unconsciously shed tears for the cruelty of war and the sacrifice of revolutionary martyrs," said a young visitor surnamed Sun to a red tourism site.

To date, Shandong province has built nearly 100 red tourism attractions, 18 national patriotism education demonstration bases, and 34 provincial-level ones.

According to officials from the Shandong provincial department of culture and tourism, the province is guiding Linyi to initiate and organize the formation of a red tourism alliance with Tai'an, Jining, Zaozhuang, and Rizhao, as well as to launch cross-regional red tourism routes.

In addition, it is also working with neighboring provinces, such as Jiangsu and Anhui, to launch red tourism routes.