Historical sites preserve revolution locales

Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall in Beijing.[Photo by Wang Yueling/Asianewsphoto]

Tourism authorities in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province have designated 10 Red tourism routes to promote historical sites that played a significant role in the country's revolution in the early 20th century.

People can re-trace the footprints of Chinese revolutionaries while traveling along the routes and visiting must-see sites like the former base of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo in Shijiazhuang and former headquarters of the Jinchaji military command in Baoding, Hebei province.

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region is rich in tourism resources, and many scenic spots in the region proudly echo the glory of China's revolutionary history, says Song Yu, deputy head of the Beijing tourism development committee.

"The tourism authorities in the three regions should complement each other's advantages and further boost the country's ever-growing domestic tourism," he says.

Song says tourism authorities plan to further integrate resources and come up with more tour routes, particularly self-driving tours and road trips, while providing more trains to facilitate visitors.

Officials from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province are working on a joint development plan with the aim of improving the region's overall competitiveness, the integration of which is expected to give the region a powerful boost.

The cooperation will bring about tremendous economic progress in northern China, says Cao Heping, an economist from Peking University.