Sharpening the Blade Against the Red Wall: From Hong Kong to Handong

In January 2006, the cold wind in Yancheng, carrying yellow dust, stung the face. Zhou Jin had only stayed in the municipal party committee compound for three days when she took the basic data compiled by the municipal development and reform commission and knocked on the door of Secretary Li Xiangming's office.

"Secretary Li, I've been reviewing the information on Yancheng City these past few days and have a general idea of ​​what it's like, but theory is no substitute for practice. I'd like to go down to the grassroots, visit districts, counties, townships, and fields to see the actual situation firsthand. Based on the research findings, I'll work out a draft of the 'Eleventh Five-Year Plan' that suits Yancheng City's realities. What do you think?" Zhou Jin's tone was humble, and she held a handwritten research route map in her hand, which marked several key districts and counties, including Baota District, Luochuan County, and Wuqi County.

Li Xiangming put down the documents in his hand, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "I was just about to tell you this. You can't understand the situation in Yan'an City by sitting in an office. Your approach is very correct. Research should go deep into the grassroots, listen to the people's inner thoughts, and ask about the difficulties faced by the cadres. I'll have the Municipal Party Committee Office arrange a car for you and send a comrade familiar with the situation to be your guide. Call me anytime if you need anything."

After receiving approval, Zhou Jin, accompanied by Qin Gang and Xiao Wang, the liaison officer from the Municipal Party Committee Office, embarked on their research trip that very day. Without any entourage, they traveled in a simple SUV through the ravines and plateaus of Yancheng.

The first stop was the Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site in Baota District. The scenic area was sparsely populated in winter; a few cave dwellings stood simple and clean, and guides were telling stories of revolutionary predecessors to the few remaining visitors. Zhou Jin didn't disturb anyone, simply listening quietly with the other tourists, observing the souvenirs sold beside the site—commemorative badges costing a few yuan, coarse cloth bags printed with revolutionary slogans—crudely made and limited in variety.

"Xiao Wang, are these all the cultural and creative products our scenic area offers?" Zhou Jin asked, pointing to the souvenir stall.

Xiao Wang nodded, looking helpless: "Mayor Zhou, our red tourism has always followed the old path of 'seeing cave dwellings and listening to stories.' Tourists come, take a quick look, and leave, without leaving anything behind. We want to develop some good cultural and creative products, but we lack funds, we lack design, and we don't know where to sell them."

Zhou Jin squatted down, picked up a coarse cloth bag and rubbed it, secretly noting in her mind: Red tourism cannot just rely on "ticket revenue". It is necessary to explore the cultural connotation, develop distinctive cultural and creative products, and also connect with the Internet. Although e-commerce platforms were still in their infancy in 2006, it was entirely feasible to build an official website for promotion and connect with travel agencies in other places to organize study tours.

Leaving Zaoyuan, the car headed south towards Luochuan County. Luochuan is the main apple-producing area of ​​Yancheng City. The apple orchards covering the mountains and plains had lost their greenery in the winter, leaving only bare branches. Zhou Jin and his group arrived at an apple cooperative. The yard was piled high with apples, and the fruit farmers were sorting them with worried expressions.

"Uncle, how's the apple harvest this year? Are they selling well?" Zhou Jin walked into the yard, picked up a bright red apple, and asked.

Old Liu, the fruit farmer, sighed, his dark face full of exhaustion: "The harvest is good, but the price is low. When merchants come to buy, they only pay 80 cents per pound. After deducting the cost of fertilizer and bagging, I can't make much money at all. I want to take it to the city to sell myself, but I don't have the connections, and the transportation costs are too high."

Zhou Jin broke open an apple and took a bite. It was crisp, sweet, and juicy—of excellent quality. Looking at the mountain of apples piled up in the yard, he asked, "Do we have any apple processing plants? Like those that make juice or wine?"

The head of the cooperative shook his head and said, "There used to be a small juice factory with outdated equipment and poor technology. The juice it produced couldn't be sold, and it went bankrupt a long time ago. They wanted to introduce new equipment, but they didn't have the funds, and no one knew the technology."

Zhou Jin had a plan: Yanshi apples were of good quality, but lacked branding and deep processing. Registering a regional public brand was the first step; they also needed to connect with Huayao Capital's resources, introduce deep-processing enterprises, and turn apples into juice, wine, and crisps to increase added value. By 2006, consumers had begun to pay attention to quality, and high-end fruit wines and organic apple juice would definitely have a market in Hong Kong and coastal cities.

The third stop was the energy industrial park in Wuqi County. Several trucks loaded with raw coal were driving out of the park, kicking up dust. The park manager accompanied Zhou Jin on a tour of a small coal washing plant. Inside the workshop, machines roared, and the washed raw coal was piled up like small mountains.

"Mayor Zhou, our county's economy relies entirely on coal, but selling raw coal yields very low profits. We want to develop coal-power integration and build a power plant, but we lack funds, technology, and approvals are difficult to obtain." The person in charge's tone was full of anxiety.

Zhou Jin stood outside the workshop, gazing at the distant coal transport line, his brow furrowed. The energy industry was the pillar of Yancheng City, but over-reliance on exporting raw coal not only resulted in low added value but also damaged the environment. He recalled the circular economy model he had encountered in Hong Kong and began to consider: to promote the transformation of the energy industry and extend the industrial chain—to develop coal chemical industry after coal washing, producing high-value-added products such as methanol and ethylene glycol; simultaneously, to utilize Yancheng City's solar and wind energy resources to develop photovoltaic and wind power projects. In 2006, the country was encouraging the development of new energy sources, which presented a potential breakthrough.

During the research trip, Zhou Jin worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, visiting six districts and counties, more than a dozen townships, and over twenty enterprises and cooperatives. Instead of sitting in an office listening to reports, he ventured into orchards, mines, and farmers' cave dwellings, chatting with fruit growers, miners, and village officials. Qin Gang stayed by his side throughout, quietly carrying his water bottle and notebook, occasionally helping to move apple crates, effectively becoming a part-time research assistant.

One evening, the research team stayed overnight in a township in Wuqi County. In the simple guesthouse, Zhou Jin was hunched over the table, organizing his research notes by the dim light. Looking at his notebook filled with dense handwriting, Xiao Wang couldn't help but say, "Mayor Zhou, you've been visiting more frequently than us grassroots cadres these past few days. You really have no airs at all."

Zhou Jin raised her head, rubbed her sore shoulders, and smiled: "I'm new to Yan City, just a novice. How can I speak recklessly and make decisions without understanding the situation? The 'Eleventh Five-Year Plan' is a major event concerning the development of Yan City over the next five years. It must be grounded in reality and meet the expectations of the people."

The cold wind still howled outside the window, but the light inside was exceptionally warm. Zhou Jin looked at the notes in her notebook—the pain points of red tourism, the bottlenecks of the apple industry, the difficulties of energy transition—and her thoughts became increasingly clear. A draft of the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan," which combined the realities of Yancheng with innovation and pragmatism, was gradually taking shape in the night on this Loess Plateau.