Jinggangshan is the birthplace of the Red Army. The county-level city in southeast China's Jiangxi Province has dedicated itself to developing tourism around the culture of the Red Army, and has combated poverty in the process. CGTN's He Weiwei has the story.

Learning how to throw hand grenades. Climbing and crossing obstacles. In Bashang village, young visitors are taking part in a training project called "A day in the Red Army".

XU CHANGJIANG, VISITOR JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE "The training is not as easy as I imagined it to be. I realize how difficult it is to be a soldier."

As the cradle of the Chinese revolution, people come to Jinggangshan to honor the spirit of the Red Army.

HE WEIWEI JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE "Jinggangshan is located in a remote and mountainous area in southeast China. Its location was a wartime advantage, but later it became a stumbling block for development. Many villagers are descendants of Red Army members, and they used to live below the poverty line. But as the training projects and tourism booms, locals' lives have gradually been improved."

Villager Li Zufang helps these "soldiers" to prepare a "Red Army Meal". In Bashang village, over 40 families provide catering services for visitors. Each family can host up to 900 people per year, bringing a 50 percent increase in their annual income.

LI ZUFANG, VILLAGER BASHANG VILLAGE, JINGGANGSHAN "We're getting old now. Thanks to this project, my wife and I can make a living at home instead of working outside."

Developing such a business model was not easy. In the past, villagers used to cut trees and sell them for money. It took the local authorities several years to limit forest felling and promote tourism to its current scale.

LI ZHONGLIN, FORMER PARTY SECRETARY CPC BASHANG VILLAGE BRANCH, JINGGANGSHAN "It's only with a good environment that we can attract more visitors here. That's the key to tourism."

A "Red Education" base has been established in Bashang village. And locals are also preparing to provide homestay services for more visitors.

HWW, CGTN, JINGGANGSHAN, JIANGXI PROVINCE.