Red tourism pays off for Shaoshan

Birthplace of Mao Zedong welcomed 20 million visitors last year

A lack of scenic attractions has not stopped Shaoshan, a small city in Central China's Hunan province, from becoming one of the country's top tourism destinations.

It attracted 20 million visitors last year, cementing its status as one of China's 246 5A-level tourism zones. They all came to commemorate Mao Zedong, the founding father of New China, who was born in Shaoshan in 1893.