by Xinhua Writer Jiang Tingting
HEFEI, July 26 (Xinhua) — Over eighty years in the past, the rolling hills the place Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui provinces converge echoed with gunfire as New Fourth Army troopers repelled Japanese invaders. Today, those self same landscapes pulse to a brand new rhythm: the drumbeat of high-quality growth.
In the verdant hills of Guangde City, Anhui, stands the solemn grave of martyr Zheng Dafang. In an area battle in March 1944, Zheng, then a 23-year-old soldier, sacrificed his life whereas main a cost in opposition to retreating Japanese invaders.
The soil as soon as hallowed by his sacrifice now nurtures a sophisticated manufacturing cluster the younger martyr might by no means have envisioned in his wildest desires.
Within the totally automated manufacturing facility of Guangde Yatai Automobile Intelligent Braking System Co., Ltd., a wise monitoring platform repeatedly tracks real-time manufacturing metrics whereas a fleet of over 300 robotic arms function round the clock.
“Our fully automated process enables us to manufacture brake discs with significant advantages in cost-effectiveness and reliability,” mentioned Wu Xinzhong, normal supervisor of Guangde Yatai.
The firm’s brake disc output surpassed 10 million models in 2024, accounting for about one-tenth of the nation’s market share, supplying outstanding new vitality automobile producers reminiscent of Geely and BYD, in keeping with Wu.
The agency anchors Guangde’s signature automotive ecosystem — a constellation of 77 main components producers that collectively generated 13.62 billion yuan (about 1.91 billion U.S. {dollars}) final yr.
From meeting strains to heritage trails, a quiet renaissance is unfolding throughout the tri-province borderlands. Rural and purple tourism now surge alongside superior manufacturing, drawing vitality from revolutionary legacies and pastoral magnificence.
In Zhejiang’s Changxing County, summer season unveils idyllic countryside vistas the place normal Su Yu’s troops as soon as garrisoned.
“Weekends are fully booked until September,” mentioned 38-year-old Wang Yunlu, who runs a homestay in Yangfeng Village. “Parents from nearby cities like to bring their kids here to hike the old guerrilla trails, fish the streams, and fall asleep under the same stars the soldiers once watched.”
Between boutique homestays, teahouses and farm-to-table kitchens, the village has re-invented itself as an expertise financial system. “Our villagers’ per capita disposable income hit 46,000 yuan in 2024,” mentioned Li Yan, occasion secretary of the Yangfeng village.
Across the provincial border into Jiangsu, the town of Liyang operated because the nerve heart for New Fourth Army operations all through Southern Jiangsu throughout wartime, directing resistance efforts from its Shuixi village headquarters.
Today, Liyang’s No. 1 Road — winding by way of densely forested mountains and marked by purple, yellow and blue strains — has change into one among jap China’s signature scenic routes.
This 365 km artery hyperlinks over 220 rural sights and connects seven neighboring counties, reworking the panorama right into a seamless tourism circuit. Viewing decks, campgrounds and cafes dot the street, enriching traveler experiences.
By binding once-isolated hamlets, the route has lifted almost 100,000 villagers into renewed prosperity. In 2024 Liyang welcomed 30 million guests and generated almost 35 billion yuan in tourism income.
Better roads and a booming rural-travel market are additionally giving Liyang entrepreneurs new causes to return house; thus far, 26 returnee initiatives have secured 5.98 billion yuan in funding.
“Future initiatives will deepen revolutionary heritage engagement through curated thematic routes,” mentioned Liu Li, deputy director of Liyang’s transportation bureau. “We’re transforming historical legacy into dynamic cultural tourism assets and economic catalysts.”