Tourists visit the Red Detachment of Women Memorial Hall on April 6, 2024, in Qionghai, South China's Hainan Province. Photo: VCG

Patriotic-themed tourism, also known as "red tourism," gained momentum during this year's Qingming Festival holidays as more young people paid tribute to national heroes across the country. Experts said the public's growing interest in these patriotic sites will help strengthen solidarity and build national identity.   

During the Qingming Festival holidays, red tourism heated up nationwide, with people visiting martyrs' cemeteries, revolutionary memorial halls and other red tourism attractions to commemorate national martyrs, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday.   

Statistics show that starting from the week before the Qingming Festival holidays, red tourism was on the rise, with the number of tourists reaching a peak on Thursday, a 37 percent increase compared with the daily average before the holiday and a year-on-year increase of 10 percent, according to the CCTV report. 

From the perspective of tourist numbers, Tiananmen Square, the Jinggangshan scenic area, the Yan'an revolution memorial site, Orange Isle (Juzizhou), and the Xibaipo scenic area were among the most popular red tourism destinations during the Qingming Festival holidays. 

Data shows that family outings accounted for 45 percent of the overall red tourism population. Regarding the age distribution of red tourism visitors, the highest proportion was made up of individuals aged 31 to 40, reaching 35 percent. In terms of tourist origin, visitors in this age group mainly came from Beijing, Changsha, Nanchang, Guangzhou and Shijiazhuang. 

In East China's Jiangsu Province, the Memorial of New Fourth Army Jiangnan Headquarters located in Liyang received 24,000 tourists on Thursday and Friday, the first two days of the Qingming Festival holidays, with the daily number of visits up 29 percent compared with that of the 2023 Qingming Festival. 

At other memorials in Jiangsu, average daily visits grew by up to 388 percent year-on-year during this Qingming Festival. 

Although almost four years have passed, the four martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the deadly Galwan Valley border clash with Indian troops in June of 2020 - Chen Hongjun, Chen Xiangrong, Xiao Siyuan and Wang Zhuoran - are still remembered by the Chinese people. 

Chen Hongjun, a border defense hero who held his post for 10 years, died at the age of 33 during the China-India border spat on June 15, 2020. Chen Xiangrong, another martyr sacrificed his life in the same border standoff at the age of 19. His touching words "pure love, only for the country" are still remembered by many people. 

This year, at the Kangxiwa Martyrs Cemetery where the four martyrs were buried at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, the public sent condolence to these heroes through a variety of forms such as creating a photo with their images.

In front of martyr Chen Xiangrong's tomb, piles of oranges, his favorite fruit, could be seen. In a cemetery in Pingnan county, East China's Fujian Province, his hometown, netizens sent flowers to express their remembrance of Chen. 

The increasing popularity of red tourism shows the public's growing interest toward China's revolutionary history and China's modern history, which are essential parts of Chinese history, Zhang Yiwu, a professor of cultural studies at Peking University, told the Global Times on Saturday, pointing out that red tourism explains to people the origin of the country and helps people to gain a better understanding of their national identity. 

Zhang noted that media publicity and artistic creations featuring China's revolutionary history have also contributed to the boom in red tourism in recent years. Additionally, the development of red education as well as the overall development of China's tourism industry have boosted the popularity of red tourism, Zhang said. 

Apart from visits to memorials, a variety of events and activities were held across the country at historical sites with a modern revolutionary legacy to commemorate the festival. 

At the Dabie Mountain camping park, participating in red-themed study tours and self-driving camping activities have become the first choice for many students and parents during the holidays. A staffer from the event organizer said that the Dabie Mountain Spirit was conveyed to students through a series of immersive experiences. 

Over the past few years, China's top leadership has stressed the importance of remembering the sacrifice of the country's heroes.  

"Numerous revolutionary martyrs sacrificed their lives for the founding of our socialist country. The nation is composed of people, and people are all that matter to the nation. We will never allow our socialist country to change its nature, and neither will the people," Chinese President Xi Jinping said while visiting the Liaoshen Campaign Memorial in Jinzhou, Northeast China's Liaoning Province in August 2022.