Over 1,000 Chinese tourists reenact Red Army battle at Loushan Pass

More than 1,000 tourists took part in a reenactment of a 1935 Red Army battle at Loushan Pass in southwestern China’s Guizhou province over the weekend.

Participants wore Red Army-style uniforms, carried prop weapons and moved through staged battle positions as pyrotechnics lit up the hillside, AFP reported.

Children as young as five also joined the performance, waving red flags and carrying toy swords.

The event forms part of China’s expanding “red tourism” industry, which attracts visitors to locations associated with the country’s communist history.

The Battle of Loushan Pass took place during the Long March, when Mao Zedong’s communist forces broke through troops loyal to nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek.

Tourist Jiang Jun told AFP that the reenactment felt “awe-inspiring” and made him consider what those who fought in the battle had experienced.

Another participant, identified as Xu, said it was important for people to remember historic sites such as Loushan Pass.