Deep in the Dabie Mountains of Hubei Province, the echoes of the 1946 'Central Plains Breakthrough'—the opening salvo of China’s Civil War—have long since faded, replaced by the hum of modern industry and the rustle of high-altitude tea plantations. Dawu County, once a pivotal revolutionary headquarters, is now serving as a laboratory for a sophisticated development model known locally as the 'Red and Green' strategy. By intertwining its historical legacy with aggressive ecological preservation and industrial modernization, the county is successfully navigating the transition from a state-designated poverty-stricken area to a burgeoning rural hub.
In Xuanhuadian, the site of the original military breakout, the transformation is tangible. The local government has reimagined the historical 'Old Street' as the 'Central Plains Red Street,' blending revolutionary museum experiences with digital-age commerce. Long-time residents, such as boutique owner Wang Guomei, are shifting their business models from traditional retail to cultural tourism and specialty local products. This pivot has proven lucrative, as the town now attracts over 700,000 visitors annually, turning historical memory into a sustainable revenue stream for the local populace.
Beyond tourism, Dawu is leveraging its unique geography—straddling the Yangtze and Huai River basins—to foster a high-value 'Green' economy. In towns like He Kou, barren hills have been converted into 3,000-acre high-standard tea gardens. This agricultural shift is not merely about crops; it is a catalyst for reversing the rural-to-urban brain drain. Skilled workers and management professionals who spent decades in coastal manufacturing hubs are returning to Dawu, lured by competitive salaries and the opportunity to lead local enterprises, such as the town's thriving matcha production facilities.
The final pillar of Dawu’s evolution is the 'Gold' of high-tech manufacturing. The county has successfully attracted significant investment in metal materials and smart manufacturing, exemplified by companies like Hubei Chuanlin Steel Structure and Juding Railway Equipment. These firms are not low-value workshops; they are suppliers for major national infrastructure projects like the Xi’an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway. This industrialization has provided a stable tax base and high-quality employment, with total investment agreements in the county exceeding 50 billion yuan by 2025.
This holistic approach—fusing revolutionary 'Red' culture with 'Green' ecological assets to produce 'Gold' economic outcomes—reflects a broader national trend in China’s rural revitalization. By 2025, rural per capita disposable income in Dawu had risen by over 50% compared to 2020 levels. The success of this model suggests that for China’s inland regions, the path to prosperity lies not in mimicking coastal urbanization, but in the strategic exploitation of localized historical and environmental capital.