Rail link boosts red tourism

Artists perform aboard the G3998, a Fuxing high-speed train bound for Yan'an in Shaanxi province, after it departs from Ruijin in Jiangxi province, on Sunday. The 1,857-kilometer "red tourism" route marks the start of direct high-speed rail service between Ruijin and Yan'an, two major sites associated with the history of the Chinese revolution. SHAO RUI/XINHUA

Ruijin and Yan'an, two cities central to China's revolutionary history, gained their first direct high-speed train service on Sunday, opening new opportunities for tourism and exchanges between the former revolutionary bases.

The G3998 Fuxing train departed Ruijin in Jiangxi province at 11:02 am for Yan'an in Shaanxi province. The 1,857-kilometer journey will take about 11 hours and pass through Jiangxi, Hubei and Shaanxi provinces. Services in both directions will begin on Monday.

The new service comes as China marks the 90th anniversary of the completion of the Long March, the Communist Party of China's strategic retreat between 1934 and 1936 that brought the CPC to northern Shaanxi. Ruijin was an early revolutionary base and one of the places where the Red Army began the Long March, while Yan'an served as the base of the CPC leadership from 1937 to 1947.

The direct service is expected to boost "red tourism" — visits to sites associated with China's revolutionary history — by allowing travelers to visit both cities without changing trains.

"This summer, we saw a noticeable increase in passengers visiting former revolutionary bases," said Feng Chenhu, a train conductor based in Xi'an, Shaanxi. "Trips to revolutionary sites across different regions have become particularly popular."

For tourism operators, the direct service provides opportunities to develop travel routes that previously required more complex arrangements.

Liu Wei, who oversees the Hongjing revolutionary site in Ruijin, said the service would make it easier to organize educational tours linking southern Jiangxi and northern Shaanxi, helping the two regions attract visitors interested in their shared revolutionary history.

A Yan'an culture and tourism official said the city was already working with tourism authorities in Ruijin and nearby Yudu, inviting travel agencies to visit Yan'an and jointly promote Long March-themed itineraries.

Both Ruijin and Yudu have introduced incentives to encourage rail passengers to spend more time and money locally. Travelers who present train tickets to the respective destinations can receive benefits, including free admission to participating attractions and discounts on performances, hotels and local specialties.

The service will become a vital cog in the successive additions to China's high-speed rail network. The Xi'an-Yan'an line opened in December, bringing Yan'an onto the high-speed rail network, while the Xi'an-Shiyan railway opened on June 30, strengthening links between Shaanxi and Hubei. Together with existing lines in Jiangxi, these connections enabled the new service.

Beyond tourism, the train is also intended to serve people visiting relatives, traveling for work and conducting business, said Yang Liang, an engineer in the passenger transport department of China Railway Nanchang Group.

The northbound service will be accessible to 27 stations along the route, including Nanchang and Wuhan, extending its reach beyond the two terminal cities. Stations along the route are preparing to guide passengers and provide information about local revolutionary history.

For Liu Yutong, a Yan'an native who works at the city's railway station, the new connection also offers a chance to share the city's story with a wider audience.

A member of the station's foreign-language service team, Liu provides assistance to Chinese and international visitors interested in the city's revolutionary past.

"As someone who works at Yan'an station, I look forward to welcoming visitors from far away and telling them how this place has changed," she said.

luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn