GUANGZHOU, July 14 (Xinhua) -- When tourists arrive at Shanwei, a coastal city in south China's Guangdong Province, they quickly notice that red is everywhere.

In what is known as the city's red block, the upper facades of street-side shops selling fish maw, eyeglasses and savory Chinese pancakes are painted in red, accented with touches of yellow -- echoing the colors of the flag of the Communist Party of China.

Shanwei is a famous "red land." It is the birthplace of China's first Soviet government, the Hai-lu-feng Soviet, established in 1927, and also the hometown of Peng Pai, a Communist hero who led the founding of the government, hailed by Mao Zedong as the "king of peasant uprisings."

Today, locals still recount the stories of Peng. Despite being born into a wealthy landowning family, he burned the land deeds to give his lands to farmers after he accepted Marxism. He mobilized countless peasants to join the revolutionary cause before his execution at the age of 33.

Peng's rebellion and boldness are regarded as a reflection of the Shanwei people's fearless spirit and strong perseverance.

"Peng's dream was to build a new world where the country would become strong and the people could live a happy life. As offspring, we have inherited his legacy," a senior official of the Shanwei government told Xinhua.

One example is the achievement of Peng Shilu, the son of Peng Pai. He was arrested after his father's death, but was rescued and sent to the revolutionary base in Yan'an for education. Later, he was sent to study in the Soviet Union.

After returning to China, Peng Shilu devoted his life to the nation's nuclear enterprise and was eventually hailed as the "father of China's nuclear submarines."

Another prominent Chinese nuclear submarine designer, Huang Xuhua, was also born in Shanwei. Before his passing in February 2025, Huang's story had been widely covered by the media, including a TV drama adaptation that aired in 2021.

However, despite being located in the economically developed province of Guangdong and adjacent to the bustling city of Shenzhen, Shanwei struggled to reach such lofty development heights, and historically had a high concentration of underprivileged residents. Until December 2013, there was not even a railway leading to the city.

In order to realize Peng Pai's dream, Shanwei's officials went above and beyond painting the streets red, and worked hard to develop the economy.

"We have accelerated industrial project implementation and construction by offering proactive, service-oriented governance," said Chen Jianhua, director of the municipal development and reform bureau of Shanwei.

He noted that Shanwei has benefited from high-tech business production transferred from bigger cities, adding that the city had been focusing on the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector, attracting upstream and downstream enterprises to establish itself as a major hub for NEVs.

One notable example is the Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone, established in 2011 under the cooperation between Shanwei and Shenzhen. Located in Shanwei, the zone has become a key hub for the NEV industry, with Shenzhen-based NEV giant BYD and around 30 companies in the NEV supply chain.

According to the official Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, BYD's auto industrial park within the zone had secured total contracted investment exceeding 31.5 billion yuan (about 4.4 billion U.S. dollars) as of February 2025. Following the signing of a construction agreement for the park's fourth phase in November 2024, its total annual output value is projected to exceed 200 billion yuan once all four phases are fully completed and operational.

Previously, some investors doubted Shanwei's ability to complete the construction in the industrial park within the specified time. But the hard-working local people completed the task ahead of the scheduled deadline.

At the same time, Shanwei has developed itself into a major clean energy supply hub for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area through the development of wind power. The city has the world's largest 18-megawatt offshore wind turbine and the largest 16-megawatt floating offshore wind turbine.

By the end of 2024, new energy accounted for nearly 30 percent of the city's total installed power generation capacity, reaching 9.17 million kilowatts.

The city has also upgraded its ports to accommodate large container ships. The development of new energy and new ports has therefore attracted more partners who hope to export their products to the European Union to invest in the city.

Between 2020 and 2024, Shanwei recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.5 percent, outperforming any other city in the province during the period.

Chen said the city was evolving into a key focal point on China's eastern coastline. "With its tradition of bold innovation, Shanwei is striving to transform from a revolutionary base area into a modern industrial stronghold," he added. This also reflects the changes happening in China, a country that is striving for modernization.

The economic boom has drawn back many Shanwei natives, who had once left to seek opportunities elsewhere, with renewed hope.

Liu Dejiang, 37, came back to Shanwei to open a coffee shop in 2022, after closing a clothing business that he had run for over 10 years in Guangzhou due to market changes. Now he owns eight outlets in operation or under preparation in Shanwei.

The first outlet was constructed on the site of an abandoned abalone farm at a beach in Shanwei's Red Bay. Liu named it "Floating Sun Hideaway," inspired by its impressive sunset view.

What happened next, Liu describes, was a "breakout." Young people flocked in to take pictures to share on social media, attracting more visitors to check in. Some even came from as far away as Beijing or Chongqing.

"We have benefited from Shanwei's rural revitalization efforts that have renovated the environment of villages in the city's suburbs," Liu said.

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. ■