Jinggangshan Museum Revives Red Study Tours for Youth

The Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum is breathing new life into red study tours through its “Youth Tell to Youth” initiative, deploying young volunteer docents who narrate revolutionary history to visiting student groups during the summer peak season. Since 2023, approximately 800,000 young people have participated in study tours at the museum, making youth its most important visitor demographic, according to People’s Daily Overseas Edition.

A Museum Rooted in Revolutionary History

Located in Ciping Town, Jinggangshan City, Jiangxi Province, the museum was China’s first local revolutionary history museum when it opened in October 1959. It commemorates the establishment of the first rural revolutionary base area in China, founded by Mao Zedong in October 1927 when he led Autumn Harvest Uprising troops to Jinggangshan. The current building, opened in 2007, houses over 30,000 cultural relics and features the permanent exhibition “History of the Jinggangshan Struggle,” which displays more than 800 artifacts and 2,000 photographs, as Guangming Daily detailed in a recent feature.

Youth Teaching Youth

The museum’s “Youth Tell to Youth” model pairs young volunteer docents with visiting student groups, creating a peer-to-peer educational experience. Luo Shengfeng, a student from Ganzhou Wenqing Experimental School, has volunteered as a docent since second grade, inspired by his mother’s encouragement and his interest in revolutionary culture. “Objects like the little oil lamp - we’ve learned about them in textbooks, but coming to see them in person and hearing the stories behind them makes understanding much deeper,” Luo said, as reported by People’s Daily Jiangxi Channel.

Guo Chenyou, a sixth-grade student at Jinggangshan Primary School, has participated in summer docent services for two consecutive years. “I hope more children and tourists can learn about Jinggangshan’s stories, and I also hope to improve my own expressive abilities through explaining,” Guo said.

The museum currently maintains 50 permanent young volunteer docents, with approximately 200 young volunteers joining summer study practice each year. These form multi-level volunteer teams including “Little Oil Lamp Volunteers,” “Red Scarf Docents,” and university student volunteers.

Making History Tangible

Docents use representative artifacts - a military flag, a jar of salt, a carrying pole, a Party admission oath, and a transportation pass - to transform textbook content into vivid, tangible revolutionary stories. For younger audiences, explanations focus on physical exhibits that bring historical narratives to life.

“Compared to text in textbooks, children listening to peers tell revolutionary stories and viewing revolutionary artifacts up close can more easily understand that today’s happy life was hard-won,” said Ms. Liu, a visitor from Shanghai who brought her child to the museum.

Huang Junfeng, director of the Exhibition Hall Service Center’s Explanation Department, emphasized the transformative power of the program. “When children stand on the explanation platform, they are not only narrating history, they are also understanding history,” Huang said. “Through the process of telling, the Jinggangshan Spirit takes root in their hearts.” Many young visitors, inspired by the student docents’ presentations, have joined the explanation teams themselves.

The broader Red Scarf Docent movement has gained momentum across China. In June 2026, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to a letter from Red Scarf docents at the Memorial Hall of the First CPC National Congress and the Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall, encouraging young docents to “inherit the red gene.” In Jinggangshan, the city has trained over 2,000 primary school student docents across 13 schools, conducting over 200 volunteer explanation sessions annually, as China Military Network reported.

Red Study Tours Expanding Nationwide

Red study tours have become a significant educational trend in China, particularly during summer vacations. The “My Jinggangshan Journey” brand, part of Jiangxi Province’s national comprehensive reform pilot zone for “Big Ideological and Political Courses,” has drawn students from across the province. The trend has expanded beyond mainland China: a group of 42 Hong Kong youth and parents completed a four-day “My Jinggangshan Journey” study tour from July 30 to August 2, visiting historical sites and cultural heritage locations across Ji’an, Jinggangshan, and Jishui, according to Jiangxi Daily.

Looking Ahead to the 100th Anniversary

2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base Area. The museum plans to launch renovation projects for its basic exhibitions and key displays, add new presentation formats including scenario reenactments, red song recitations, and immersive interactive experiences, and develop a “Red Gene Digital Resource Library” that will allow visitors to explore artifact details and historical context through digital interactive devices.

These initiatives aim to further enhance young visitors’ engagement and participation, bringing the Jinggangshan Spirit to the younger generation in more vivid and accessible ways. As the museum’s official website notes, the institution remains committed to preserving and transmitting revolutionary heritage for future generations, ensuring that the legacy of China’s revolutionary pioneers continues to inspire and educate.