Lai Jinhua, a tour guide of the Site of Gutian Meeting [Photo by Hu Meidong/chinadaily.com.cn]

"I read relevant books and attended various classes so as to better explore the history of the place I grew up in."

In 2014, President Xi Jinping hosted a conference on the army's political work convened in Gutian, making the township more known to the public.

Thanks to the two meetings, the remote township has turned into a popular destination of "red tourism", which features visits to sites with significance of revolutionary history.

Tourists poured in to reconnect with history, reclaiming the revolutionary spirit and adding more momentum to the red tourism boom.

Lai said she witnessed the changing of the township with the booming red tourism.

"Visitors have increased year by year, with even teenagers coming here, the environment has improved and it is more convenient for tourists to come as we now have a bullet train station in the township."

As a mother of two, Lai often takes them to visit the site where she works at, and tells them about Gutian.

Although they are too young to understand the stories, she said she is trying to make them remember that today's good life is hard-earned.