71 paintings about Party history are displayed in the 100-meter gallery in Datunying Revolutionary Exhibition Hall, forming a red archive telling the town's revolutionary history over the past century.
 
The purpose of the exhibition hall is to allow local people to seek their roots. Just as one aged Party member said, “Over half of our people fail to know the origin and development of our hometown, and even have little sense of identity toward the town.”
 
Datunying Town, a red land in the southeast of Ningxiang City, is adjacent to Shaoshan City in the west, hometown of Mao Zedong, and Huaminglou in the south, former residence of the late Chinese leader Liu Shaoqi. It boasts a long history, abundant revolutionary culture and a number of famous figures. There is the former residence of Ouyang Qin, late vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the site of “Zongyi Special Branch” of Hunan Provincial Working Committee.
 
“Only after finding the cultural roots can our people know clearly their future and strive for rural revitalization,” said Ou Xudong, secretary of the Party Committee of Datunying Town. Therefore, the exhibition hall is built for people to seek their cultural roots.
 
Tremendous efforts have been made to build to the exhibition hall. The town launched the project of creating a revolutionary book Datunying and building a revolutionary exhibition hall in July 2020, and made great breakthroughs in original design and material collection.
 
One major difficulty that was encountered in the early period was how to make it a revolutionary exhibition hall with its own characteristics.
 
“What we aim to build is a special primary-level exhibition hall, instead of a traditional exhibition hall for physical entities of Party history.” Therefore, the town focused on collecting local historical materials and tried to present the history artistically by combining text and painting.

After field visits, investigations and looking up relevant historical materials such as the county annals, a script of over 13,000 words was finished. A local painter named Cheng Wuyi, who has been engaged in researching ancient towns with many works such as Changsha Kilns and Tanheli and shown a deep love for the town, finished 71 Chinese paintings with the characteristics of revolutionary culture.

After screening and sorting out the materials for months, the town decided to present the town's history with paintings and brief words, allowing local people to know about its revolutionary culture and development.  
 
The paintings are displayed in the exhibition hall in chronological order, which clearly show the town's development processes and bring new experience to visitors.
 
Datunying Revolutionary Exhibition Hall, a revolutionary cultural education base for local people, was opened to the public on June 30, 2021.

“This painting describes the scene when my grandfather Ouyang Qin donated trucks and water pumps to the town,” Ou Guo said excitedly when visiting the exhibition hall.
 
“Standing in the exhibition hall, it seems as if I were brought back to the 1990s, when I collected grain from peasants in the grain supply center. I feel quite excited,” Tan Yueming said, a retired cadre of the town.

Since the opening of the exhibition hall, a total of 45 Party branches in Datunying Town have carried out Party day theme activities there.

Cultural roots are of great importance to all Party members and the masses, which inspire them to strive hard.

“After visiting the exhibition hall, we become more confident in rural revitalization,” said Li Aiming, a young Party member.

The exhibition hall will be built into a spiritual home of rural revitalization for the Party member and people. “Since the opening of the exhibition hall, a number of Party members and masses have been here to learn about revolutionary martyrs' struggles and revolutionary stories.” Hu Zhiyong, an official of the town, said that the exhibition hall opens freely to the public, allowing the Party member to learn more about the town's revolutionary history.
 
“The exhibition hall is near my home and I often pay a visit to the exhibition hall to review the revolutionary history. It is quite good,” Ou Zhengqiu said, a 68-year-old Party member from Jinxing Village, Datunying Town. Besides, Liu Chunxiang, Party branch secretary of Jinxing Village, said, “Knowing our Party’s success was hard-earned, I am more determined to contribute to rural revitalization and work hard to build the town into a demonstration town for rural revitalization.”
 
The town will continue to build more cultural sites, carry out a series of Party lectures and establish a team of narrators, so as to rally spiritual strength for rural revitalization. It will adhere to integrated development of red culture and ecological environment by drawing strength from the red culture to advance rural revitalization and adopting green industrial modes. It will build demonstration areas for tobacco and promote the development of 5 industries involving small fruits, fishery, flowers, tea and green vegetables, aiming to explore a new way to boost rural development.