Soviet Memorial Hall in Zhangjiajie

Soviet Memorial Hall in Zhangjiajie or Xiang’e Chuanqian Revolution Base Area Memorial Hall in Zhangjiajie (中华苏维埃湘鄂川黔省委省革委省军区暨红二方面军指挥部旧址、纪念馆) is located in the center of Zhangjiajie (张家界) City, at 41 Liberation Road (解放路41号). The memorial is situated within a traditional courtyard and covers over 3000 square meters. The hall is surrounded by lush evergreen trees, colorful flowers, clean stone slabs, and a serene and solemn atmosphere. It is a peaceful, tranquil place, perfect for reflection. The site includes several important historical structures, with the main building occupying 860 square meters, and was built in 1918. The architecture combines both Chinese and Western classical styles.

Key Features of the Memorial

• East Section (东头): This area includes three low walls surrounding a wooden house, creating a courtyard within a courtyard. The small rooms served as the offices and bedrooms for Ren Bishi (任弼时), He Long (贺龙), and Xiao Ke (肖克), leaders of the Second Red Army (红二方面军). The black-painted desks and oil lamps testify to the intense strategic planning sessions held here, where revolutionary heroes who terrified the enemy once sat.
• West Section (西头): The memorial hall’s hall was used for provincial committee meetings and conferences for provincial departments. Currently, it displays portraits of 166 commanders (将帅像) from the Second Red Army (红二方面军). Their portraits are strategically placed to honor their contributions and inspire respect.
• North Section (北面): The Red Army’s Command Center (红二方面军指挥部) and the offices of the Provincial Revolutionary Committee (省革委) and Provincial Military District (省军区) once occupied this area, where revolutionary decisions were made that impacted the course of China’s history.
• South Section (南面): The Provincial Party Building (省委机关大楼), restored in its original appearance, now serves as an exhibition hall. With an area of 760 square meters, it showcases over 300 historical photos and more than 100 revolutionary relics, reconstructing the arduous history of the revolutionary struggle.

Historical Context

The Zhangjiajie Soviet Memorial Hall commemorates the Soviet base of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou (湘鄂川黔革命根据地) established in 1934. The region became a key revolutionary base to support the Long March (长征) and to defend against the Kuomintang (国民党) forces. Led by Ren Bishi, He Long, Guan Xiangying (关向应), Xiao Ke, Wang Zhen (王震), and others, the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps launched the Western Hunan Offensive (湘西攻势), liberating the city of Dayong (now Zhangjiajie City, Yongding District). The establishment of the Soviet committee laid the foundation for the revolutionary base.

In 1934, after the Red Army’s breakthrough, Ren Bishi and other leaders formed a temporary provincial committee in Dayong. On December 1st, 1934, the Soviet Revolutionary Committee of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou was established in a church building in Zhangjiajie.

In 1991, the Zhangjiajie Communist Party Committee (中共张家界市永定区委) launched a fundraising campaign to restore the original site. The Soviet Memorial Hall was officially opened on December 26, 1993, serving as an important part of China’s Red Tourism (红色旅游). In 2001, it was designated as a national demonstration base for patriotism education (全国爱国主义教育示范基地) by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee (中宣部).

Visitor Information

• Location: 41 Liberation Road, Zhangjiajie City (张家界市城区解放路)
• Proximity: 30 kilometers from the Wulingyuan Scenic Area (武陵源), a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.
• Area: 2800 square meters

The Zhangjiajie Soviet Memorial Hall is now an integral part of China’s Red Tourism and provides a detailed historical account of the Revolutionary Base of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou. It not only honors the heroes of the revolution but also reflects the hardships faced in the quest for national liberation.

Memorial Hall  and Its Layout

The Memorial Hall covers an area of 2800 square meters, with a building area of 1600 square meters. At the eastern end of the hall, there is a wooden bungalow surrounded by three low walls. The three small rooms were once inhabited by prominent figures such as Ren Bishi (任弼时), He Long (贺龙), and Xiao Ke (萧克). The presence of a black lacquered desk and a tung oil lamp testify to the fact that these heroes spent many sleepless nights here, strategizing.

At the western end, there is a provincial party hall that can accommodate over 200 people. The meetings of the expanded provincial committee and the provincial departments were once held here. The hall has now been converted into the General’s Gallery (将军馆), with photographs of 166 New China generals and commanders who left their heroic footprints in the revolutionary base of Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian (湘鄂川黔) hanging on the walls.

On the left and right sides of the Memorial Hall’s entrance, there are 11 offices, where the three major agencies and 13 subordinate departments of the time were once based.

In the center of the courtyard, there is a statue based on the work “Hard Times” (艰苦岁月) by the famous Chinese sculptor Pan He (潘鹤). The statue depicts a young Red Army soldier holding a rifle above his head, leaning on an old Red Army soldier playing a short flute, seemingly lost in listening.

Behind the statue stands the main building of the memorial hall, which contains three exhibition rooms. The rooms display 223 large pictures and over 100 revolutionary artifacts, showcasing the brilliant struggle history of the revolutionary base, reflecting the tough and noble revolutionary journey of the military and civilians. General Xiao Ke (萧克) wrote the name of the Memorial Hall.

Section One: The Establishment of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian Border Revolutionary Base 

In November 1933, due to the incorrect “leftist” policy of Wang Ming (王明) and the large-scale enemy attacks, the Xiang-E-Western Hunan (湘鄂西) revolutionary base was completely lost. The Red Third Army, under the leadership of Xia Xi (夏曦), He Long (贺龙), and Guan Xiangying (关向应), had no choice but to retreat to the border of Hubei, Sichuan, and Guizhou (湘鄂川黔边).

On December 19, a meeting was held at Da Village, Xianfeng, Hubei, where it was decided to “create a new Soviet area in the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian border.” Subsequently, the Red Third Army moved through the region in search of a foothold.

In May 1934, the Red Third Army crossed the Wujiang River and entered Guizhou. On June 19, a meeting was held at Fengxiangxi, Guizhou, and it was decided to establish a base in eastern Guizhou. The Eastern Guizhou Revolutionary Committee was established on July 21.

The establishment of the Eastern Guizhou base created the conditions for the meeting of the Red Second and Sixth Armies, forming the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian base.

Section Two: The Full Formation of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian Border Revolutionary Base 

In October 1934, after a hard-fought march, the Red Sixth Army entered Eastern Guizhou, and on the 24th, it successfully met the Red Third Army in Mu Huang, Yinjian. After the merger, the Red Third Army was restored to its original title as the Red Second Army, and the two armies carried out joint operations under the unified command of He Long, Ren Bishi, and Guan Xiangying.

Following the merger of the Red Second and Sixth Armies, in order to support the Central Red Army’s Long March and establish the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian border revolutionary base, they decided to launch the Xiangxi offensive.

On October 28, the Red Second and Sixth Armies set off from Nanyao, Sichuan, and advanced toward Xiangxi. On November 7, they captured Yongshun County. In response, the Xiangxi warlord He Jian (何键) urgently ordered the deployment of troops to block and suppress the Red Army. On November 16, the Red Army ambushed the enemy in a decisive victory, killing and capturing over 3,000 enemies.

The Red Army then continued to pursue the enemy, capturing Dayong (大庸) and Sangzhi (桑植) on November 24. By December 7, they attacked Yuanling, and on December 17, they surrounded Changde, capturing Taoyuan.

Thanks to the success of the Xiangxi offensive, the Red Second and Sixth Armies controlled the majority of Yongshun, Dayong, Sangzhi, Longshan, Baojing, Taoyuan, Cili, and Changde, and occupied key cities, thereby expanding the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian border base.

Section Three: The Establishment of the Provincial Committee and Leading the People in Revolutionary Struggles 

On November 26, 1934, in accordance with instructions from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian Provincial Committee was established in Dayong, with Ren Bishi serving as the committee’s secretary. He Long, Guan Xiangying, Xia Xi, Wang Zhen (王震), Xiao Ke, Zhang Ziyi (张子意), Liu Shijie (刘士杰, who later defected), and Zhou Yuzhu were appointed as committee members. The provincial military district was also established, with He Long as the commander and Ren Bishi as the political commissar.

The Provincial Revolutionary Committee was also formed, with He Long as the chairman and Xia Xi and Zhu Changqing as vice-chairmen. This marked the official formation of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian revolutionary base centered in Dayong.

After the establishment of the provincial committee, the first tasks were to lead the development of party-building, land reform, and the expansion of the Red Army. Significant achievements were made in economic, cultural, and educational areas, consolidating and developing the base area.

Section Four: Intense Battles Against Encirclement 

The establishment and development of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian base, especially the active attacks by the Red Army, posed a new threat to the Kuomintang government. Chiang Kai-shek (蒋介石) was greatly alarmed and ordered the mobilization of military forces from Hunan and Hubei, comprising 11 divisions and four brigades, a total of around 110,000 soldiers. These forces, along with local security teams, were organized into six columns to launch a “siege” against the base area.

In response, the army and civilians in the base area stood firm in their resistance, awaiting the enemy’s attack.

In January 1935, the enemy began their offensive. The main Red Army forces retreated to Dayong for rest and reorganization. In February, they set up defenses in Cili and successfully repelled the enemy forces.

After two months of counter-siege operations, the Red Army faced repeated setbacks due to a lack of understanding of the Central Military Commission’s tactical guidelines. This led to the shrinking of the base and increasing difficulties for the Red Army. The leadership of the Red Second and Sixth Armies decided to shift their strategy and move northward.

Section Five: The Successful Strategic Retreat

The continued victories of the Red Second and Sixth Armies signaled the failure of Chiang Kai-shek’s plans to annihilate them. In response, Chiang once again launched a more brutal “siege” and appointed Chen Cheng (陈诚) as the chief of staff for the new offensive, deploying around 300,000 troops.

However, despite the overwhelming disparity in forces, the Red Army leadership decided to strategically retreat, using a feigned attack on the east to break through the enemy lines and then retreat to the less defended border regions of Hunan and Guizhou.

On November 19, 1935, the Red Second and Sixth Armies held a “breakout oath-taking” meeting in Liujiaping and Ruitapu, launching a successful breakthrough operation that would lead to the eventual relocation of the main forces to Guizhou in early 1936.

By the end of January 1936, the Red Second and Sixth Armies had successfully entered Guizhou, where they continued their strategic expansion, ultimately leading to the creation of a new revolutionary base area in southwestern China.

Section Six: The Martyrs’ Memorial 

The creation, development, defense, and strategic retreat of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian base were characterized by the heroic efforts of the Red Army’s soldiers and commanders, who fought relentlessly against the enemy, demonstrating unwavering loyalty to the revolution.

After the Red Army evacuated the base area, the Kuomintang reactionaries launched a brutal suppression campaign. Despite the fierce repression, the revolutionary cadres and people showed immense courage, loyalty, and perseverance. Their heroism and sacrifice are forever etched in history.

53 martyrs, including regimental-level and county-level officials, died in the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian base. Their names are commemorated in the Martyrs’ Memorial.

Section Seven: The Transformation of Dayong 

Over the past 70 years, the town of Dayong, known as the cradle of the Xiang-E-Chuan-Qian base, has undergone significant transformation. Through the dedicated efforts of the Chinese Communist Party and the central leadership, it has developed into a thriving city. The story of the Red Army’s heroic struggles is etched in the hearts of the people, and their legacy lives on.