Red capital seeks more 'colorful' development (2)

"Yan'an made crucial contributions to the victory of the Communist revolution in history. It has made new achievements in economic development and improving people's livelihoods," Yao, a delegate to the 18th Party Congress, said on the sidelines of the political event on Sunday.

"We will further take advantage of our honorable history as a resource, and get ready for better and faster development in the future," Yao said.

With a population of 2.19 million, Yan'an had a GDP of 111.3 billion yuan ($17.8 billion) in 2011. Its per capita GDP was more than $8,000, higher than the national average.

Traffic flow in Yan'an has also improved significantly, with highways, railways and airlines connecting it with Beijing and other major cities.

In recent years, the city, which served as the Party's headquarters for 13 years until 1948, has promoted its red tourism resources. Yan'an attracted more than 10 million visitors in 2011.

Shortly before the congress, the nation issued a plan to boost development of former revolutionary bases including North Shaanxi, where Yan'an is located.

According to Yao, the city has sought to improve preservation efforts of sites from the revolutionary era, and a project to relocate residents has been planned to better protect 10 important sites.

Yan'an has sought to unify its economic development with ecological conservation in recent years, Yao said.