Travel Destinations: Yan’an, Shaanxi Province, China

Yan’an, depending on which side you believe, was either the holy land of Chinese communism or the place where Chairman Mao’s warped dystopian law began. No matter which way you look at it, Yan’an is the place where the Long March ended in 1935, in which only an estimated 9,000 people survived.

Yan’an served as the power place until 1947, the location where the Chinese communists created their ideologies. As such, Yan’an has become the must-see place for patriots, attracting over four million tourists worldwide each year despite being nondescript compared to other cities in China.

Because of its deep political history, there are many sights to see here relating to the history of communism and the Cultural revolution in Yan’an. Through the years that the communists used this town as their headquarters, they moved quite a few times, meaning there are a several former headquarters.

The Yangjialing Revolution Headquarters Site (Yangjialing Geming Jiuzhi) is a very interesting place to visit. Located 3km northeast outside of town, you can see the assembly hall where the first central committee meetings were once held. This includes the 7^th national plenum where Chairman Mao was officially confirmed as the leader of the party and the revolution.

You can also see the simple dugouts nearby where Mao, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and other party members lived and worked. Take a quick trip to the nearby caves where the communist personnel and secretaries worked on their propaganda.

Just south of the Wangjiaping Revolution Headquarters Site (Wangjiaping Geming Jiuzhi). This served as the last place which was used by the communist leaders here in Yan’an. At this site, you can see who Chairman Mao and the other communist elites lived. You can get to both of these sites by taking the number 1 bus from the train station.

The Gengnshuangshan Revolution Headquarters Site is much easier to get to from town; it is located around 100m north of the post office. When the communists moved to Yan’an, this was their first base and you can see that this was a very primitive and basic place to use.

If you are searching for more history than just modern politics, then head to Treasure Pagoda. This is a beautiful building dating from the Song Dynasty and can be found southeast of the river junction.

Qingliang Mountain is another great place to visit. You can bask in the natural beauty and hike up the trails. You can also visit the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave (Wanfo Dong) when you come to Qingliang Mountain. This cave was constructed into the Cliffside beside the river and has some incredible Buddhist statues.

Yan’an can be reached in a number of ways; the airport is 7km northeast of the town where there are daily flights to Xi’an and Beijing. If you are coming from Xi’an, there are regular daily buses which will take you to Yan’an.

Yan’an may not be the first choice for travellers who are visiting China; however, this town can give you the realistic and haunting legacy of China’s recent political past as well as its beautiful distant history.