From peasant uprising to industrial revolution: hero's hometown revived

To attract vacationers, the local government has removed a number of aquaculture farms, set up water purification facilities, launched regular cleanups of coastlines, and invited artists to create paintings on the facades along the seaside street, incorporating ocean-themed elements such as whales and sailboats.

At a corner of the Red Bay beach, a stone monument inscribed with the words "Beautiful Red Bay," penned by nuclear submarine designer Huang Xuhua, is a tourist's photo favorite. Indeed, Red Bay has made a name for itself among the younger generation.

"I decided to come here after reading some reviews of this place on 'rednote,' and I found it to be super photogenic. I will definitely come again," said Cai Jinhan, a 20-year-old female who traveled to Red Bay from another city in Guangdong.

"It's hard to imagine how far young people today are willing to go just to capture the perfect photo," Liu said.

In 2024, Shanwei received over 9.5 million tourist visits, a 15.1 percent increase from the previous year, with its tourism revenue exceeding 10 billion yuan for the first time.

Meanwhile, the city's permanent population increased by nearly 10,000 from 2023, marking the second consecutive year of positive population growth.

Liu has become the chairman of the newly established Shanwei Young People Entrepreneurship Association, which has over 80 members, all of whom are Shanwei natives returning to start businesses, ranging from tourism to fruit processing. It provides regular entrepreneurship counseling services and gives lectures in local colleges.

"With an improving business environment and more support for businesses in Shanwei, we hope to work together to contribute to rural revitalization and achieve further development," he said.