Guang’an city in northeast Sichuan plans to open a straddle-type monorail line around the Spring Festival holiday in February.

Guang’an is the hometown of late paramount Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997). This new monorail service is designed to offer convenient access to the memorial site for Deng.

Covering 8.49 kilometers, the route will run from Guang’an South Station to the memorial site in Paifang village, Xiexing town, where Deng’s former residence is located.

Spreading across a 3.19 square kilometers’ area, the memorial site is a national red tourism attraction, encompassing the former residence of Deng’s, a silk reeling workshop owned by the family, and the traditional private school Deng attended when he was five.

The site attracts visitors throughout the year. Virtual reality technology has been applied there to help them get direct perceptions of Deng’s life experiences.