From revolutionary village to revolutionary cultural tourism hub

In the courtyard of Changshanzhuang village, Yinan county in Linyi, a lively performance echoes through the air, and Li Zhen is one of the performers taking part.

Li Zhen, 24, works as an actress at the Shandong Hongsao Hometown Tourist Area, a scenic site honoring the "Hongsao" women — rural women from the Yimeng region who aided the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

After graduating from university, she successfully applied for a position there. She is pleased to see the Yimeng Spirit come to life through performances and immersive experiences.

This mountainous village, once central to Linyi's wartime resistance, has charted a new path to rural vitalization by leveraging its revolutionary heritage to drive cultural tourism and local prosperity.

Instead of confining history to museums and memorials, the village offers immersive cultural programs where visitors can experience history firsthand. Interactive performances and reenactments bring wartime stories to life, turning the entire village into a living stage.

The rise in tourism has created new opportunities for locals. By combining land dividends, tourism jobs, performance roles, and local product sales, villagers engage directly with the cultural tourism economy. Some participate in these immersive performances, while others run guesthouses, restaurants, souvenir shops, or supply agricultural products to tourists.

Changshanzhuang village has also capitalized on its historic setting to foster a successful film and television industry, with over 450 productions shot here. This has helped establish the village as a well-known destination for red-themed tourism and filmmaking.

Today, more than 600 residents from nearby villages are employed in tourism-related jobs, and tens of thousands have participated as extras in film and television productions over the years.

In 2025, the village's per capita income reached 22,000 yuan ($3,000), highlighting the expanding role of cultural industries in supporting rural livelihoods.

A view of a revolutionary performance called "Fujiuhui" at the Shandong Hongsao Hometown Tourist Area, portraying women's engagement in wartime social and civic life. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Editor：韩蒙蒙