As the TV series Sister Jiang shown during prime time these days, the "Red Travel" which relates to history retrospect and revolutionary education catches the attention again. Chongqing, where the story took place, has many revolutionary remains and historic places worth a visit.

Zhazi Cave

Located at the foot of Gele Mountain in Ciqikou and Wulingguan, the suburban area of Chongqing, Zhazi Cave was a coalmine founded in 1920 by a businessman named Chen Erchang. Since 1938, it became a clandestine prison for Kuomintang to imprison and persecute revolutionaries.

During the war, lots of heroic, solemn and stirring stories happened in the prison. Those stories were really very touching that they encouraged the patriotic sentiment among the Chinese. In 1943 Kuomintang founded an intelligence agency: Sino-American Co-operation office. Then the Bai Gongguan, another clandestine prison, became the office building of Sino-American Co-operation office. Revolutionaries were transferred from Bai Gongguan to Zhazi Cave prison. Among those revolutionaries are the likes of the Chinese famous hero Jiang Zujun, who was honored as Jiangjie. She was also sentenced to imprisonment in the Zhazi Cave.

The day before the new Chinese government was founded in 1949, secret agents of Kuomintang set fire to Zhazi Cave prison; it was a pity that only 15 Revolutionaries survived from the fire. Zhazi Cave, as a political prison, was filled pain and death at that time, yet it was also a place where heroes were produced. It is a place that witnessed the Chinese people devoting their lives to their political belief.

Admission free

Hongyan Revolutionary Museum

Located in Hongyan village in Yuzhong district, Hongyan Revolutionary Museum used to be the southern bases for CPC Central Committee during the anti-Japanese war. Because of their outstanding performance in the war, people established the museum to commemorate them.

The museum displays many revolutionary relics used by official leaders. Then there is the Guiyuan Garden, which was the office building for Mao Zedong. As for Zengjia Cliff, it was the place for Zhou Enlai to meet foreign people and both domestic and foreign journalists.

A tour of the museum can help you know more of Chinese revolutionary history, and meanwhile, you can take a close look at the revolutionary relics related to Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai.

Admission free

Guiyuan Garden

Located at No.65, 4th Zhongshang road, Yuzhong district, Guiyuan Garden was the residence of Kuomintang's General Zhang Zhizhong. The main building is made of brick and wood. There are two sweet-scented osmanthus trees in an unattached yard with its front door facing the street. Guiyuan is the Chinese Pinyin of sweet-scented osmanthus, hence the name.
      
The garden is famous for the history of Kuomintang-Communist cooperation and confrontation before the founding of People's Republic of China. In August 1945, Chairman Mao Zedong arrived at Chongqing for the Zhongqi negotiation, which was an important event in China civil war. General Zhang ZhiZhong arranged Chair Mao and Vice-chair Zhou Enlai to reside in Guiyuan Garden.

Admission free

Besides Chongqing, Yan'an, the cradle of Chinese Revolution, is also a hot destination of "Red Travel".

Yan'an Precious Pagoda

Located by the Yanhe River, east of Yan'an, Yan'an Precious Pagoda was built on the Pagoda Hill, which was renamed after the pagoda was built. The pavilion-style pagoda, 44 meters high with nine storiesm was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) but reconstructed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Standing on top of the majestic pagoda, you can have a whole view of Yan'an. The pagoda is the symbol of Yan'an as a sacred place in the Chinese revolution.

Travel tips:

Admission fee: 30 yuan (Dec.1-the end of Feb.); 40 yuan (Mar.1-Nov.30)
Opening hours: 6:00 am to 8:00 pm
Bus Route: 1, 3

Yangjialing Revolutionary Site

Located about three kilometers northwest of Yan'an, Yangjialing was the headquarters of the Chinese Communist Party. Many strategic guidelines and decisions had been made here by the top leaders of Communist Party since the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. At the entrance is an auditorium, a vaulted brick and wood structure.

The building behind was the office of the Central Committee's General. Mao Zedong and other high-level leaders of the revolution lived on a small hill in the north. There also is an exhibition hall which display and show the revolutionary activities of the Communist leaders and the people in Yan'an. Therefore, Yangjialing Village is a very important politic center in Chinese history. It has great significant meaning for most Chinese.

Travel tips:

Admission free
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Bus Route: 1, 3

Date Orchard

Located ten kilometers northwest of Yan'an, Date Garden used to be the place where the secretariat of CPC Central Committee operated and directed the war against the Japanese invaders. A lot of historically meaningful events took place in the Date Garden during the period between 1943 and 1947. Mao Zedong wrote many of his revolutionary works. The Date Garden, full of trees and flowers, is a beautiful place to visit.

Travel tips:

Admission free
Opening hours: 7:00 am -7:00 pm
Bus Route: Tourism Bus Line 13

Hukou Waterfall

Located at the intersection of Shaanxi Province and Shanxi Province, some 400 kilometers from Xian, Hukou Waterfall is the most magnificent yellow waterfall and the second biggest waterfall in China after the Huangguoshu waterfall.

When the mighty Yellow River flows to Hukou, the billowy water streams narrow suddenly, from 200 to 300 meters wide to 50 meters, roaring even in dry seasons, and falling 30 meters (33 yards) into a deep riverbed, splashing dense mist obscuring the sky, as if the water is pouring down from a huge teapot, hence the name Hukou (which means mouth of teapot). The scene is quite overwhelming: water stirs up masses of smoke and clouds, with color turning from yellow to grey, grey to blue. The locals call this awesome scenery "smoke from river".

Over history, a number of prominent poets and painters once traveled here. Wowing at the grand view, they left numerous works giving high honor of the waterfall.

Hukou Waterfall is the birthplace of a household song named "Yellow River Chorus", which was composed by Chinese musician Xian Xinghai in 1939 to inspire the spirit of the Chinese people against the Japanese aggression.

Travel tips:

Ticket price: 46 yuan

Transport: Take bus No. 4, 6, 16, or 19 to Yan'an and take the regular buses to Hukou Waterfall.

Jinggangshan Mountain

Jinggangshan Mountain is located 180 kilometers (110 miles) from Nanchang, and is situated in Hunan and Jiangxi provinces. This mountain area is known as "the Cradle of the Chinese Revolution".

In 1927, the Communist force led by Mao Zedong sought refuge in the dense forests in Jinggangshan Mountain. Mao's small band was soon joined by the Communist army led by Zhu De and Zhou Enlai as well as Peng Dehuai and his legion. The troops and their leaders joined forces in Ciping, a village of Jinggangshan and began the Long March.

The government has restored most of the famous landmarks at Ciping and tourists can also visit the Jinggangshan Mountain Revolutionary Museum.

Admission fee: 156 yuan

Shajiabang Town

Located only 15 kilometers to the downtown of Changshu in Jiangsu Province, and beside the beautiful Yangchehu Lake, Shajiabang town is rated as the token of the land of rice and fish in the south, with genial climate, rich soil, sweet water and abundant agricultural products.

Shajiabang is famous for the kinding of reed marshes in China. The Army and the people, just like the water and the fish, composed the brilliant prose of union against the Japanese troops in the verdant screen of reed marshes. The performance of Beijing opera Shajiabang made the place widely known.

In addition, a training camp has been set up in the Shajiabang scenic area, where students can go for outbound training after being inspired by the stories of brave local heroes told in the museum.

Travel tips: Shajiabang one-day tour offered by many travel agencies includes the tour of reed marshes maze, Hongshi folk culture village and Hengjing Laojie Jiangnan Shuixiang Photo Base. The quoted price is about 130 yuan.