The revolutionary site of Zaoyuan is 7.5 kilometers northwest of Yan'an City. It gained the name Zaoyuan (a yard of date trees) simply due to the widely planted date trees.

Agter the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China arrived in Yan'an, it stationed its social department and other sectors at Zaoyuan. In October 1943, the Secretary Department was moved to this place. The former residence of Mao Zedong is at the northwest with the residence of Zhang Wentian on its left, and that of Zhu De on its right. In August 1945, Mao Zedong flew to Chongqing from here, and had a peace talk with Kuomintang. The Secretary Department withdrew from Zaoyuan in March 3, 1947.

The small assembly hall was constructed in 1942. On its walls inside there hangs Mao's autograph Serve the People. On September 8, 1944, Mao Zedong delivered the well-known speech entitled Serve the People at the memorial service held for Zhang Side, a security regiment soldier of the Party Central Committee. Later the title of this speech became the maxim for the Chinese Communist Party. Today you can still find the platform where Mao delivered his speech to the northwest of the yard.

During the Great Production Campaign, Zhou Enlai and Ren Bishi were conferred the title "Spinning Hero." On receiving the reward, Zhou said humbly: " the masses are real heroes...As long as the masses can be mobilized to conduct labor emulation and help each other, there will be no difficulty that cannot be overcome."

A five kilometer irrigation itch running through the yard was dug between October 1939 and April 1940 with the joint efforts of the local people and staff of the Party Central Committee. Therefore, it was called "Happiness Ditch." On the New Year's Day of 1945, the local people paid a visit to Zaoyuan, bringing to the selfless Communist Party a silk banner on which inscribed were "Seek Interests of the People."