Routes to enlightenment

Authorities work hard to develop and establish new and immersive cultural tourism experiences, Yang Feiyue reports in Huizhou, Guangdong.

Qin Lan has been busy preparing several themed exhibitions at the former residence and memorial hall of general Ye Ting in Zhoutian village, Huizhou city, Guangdong province.

Born in the village, Ye played a key role in the Northern Expedition, a military campaign to topple the incumbent, warlord-led Beiyang government (1912-28), to reunify China.

"We're upgrading the main exhibition about general Ye, and are also putting together a few related exhibitions showcasing many historical sites related to a rescue in Hong Kong," says Qin, the curator at the memorial hall.

In 1942, guerrilla forces led by the Communist Party of China rescued Chinese cultural celebrities and anti-Japanese patriots from enemy control in Hong Kong during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and transferred them to safety.

"One of the rescue routes passed our neighborhood, thus leaving behind valuable traces," Qin explains.

Over the past three years, when the COVID-19 pandemic kept visits to a minimum, Qin and her team took the initiative to stage exhibitions about local historical figures and events at schools and residential communities across the city, as well as in Hong Kong and Macao.

"The public have shown great interest in the Chinese general, and are fascinated by his patriotism, family precepts and anecdotes," Qin says.

There were over 200 such events that reached more than 200,000 people, according to Qin.

Now that tourism has resumed, Qin and her team are preparing more diverse experiences for travelers.

Learning tours will be developed to cover historical sites related to Ye and the Hong Kong rescue and boost rural tourism at the same time.

Currently, young guides have come up with a unique classroom experience, where they use distinctive musical instruments, like ukuleles, to narrate Ye's story.

"We have developed our own lyrics to portray general Ye Ting's life in a tune that is very appealing to today's young people," Qin says.

Shadow puppets have also been applied to portray historic scenes, such as battles, which Qin believes makes the presentation more vivid to visitors.

A new parking lot has been built to better satisfy the needs of visitors with cars.