Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats”

Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats”

The Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats” is a national AA-level tourist attraction, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The early leaders of the Communist Party of China—Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei, and Yun Daiying—were all from Changzhou, hence they are known as the “Three Greats of Changzhou.” The Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats” includes the Memorial Hall of the Three Greats, the Former Residence of Qu Qiubai, the Former Residence of Zhang Tailei, and the Memorial Square of Yun Daiying. It is among the third batch of National Patriotic Education Demonstration Bases.

Situated in the southern part of downtown Changzhou, the Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats” was the first site in the city to be designated as a National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. The site covers an area of 64,200 square meters and has 22 staff members on its payroll. Solemn and serene, with lush greenery, the main structures currently include the Group Sculpture of the Three Greats of Changzhou, the Stele Corridor of Martyrs’ Poems and Life Maxims, the Changzhou Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, and the Revolutionary Martyrs Monument. In the exhibition hall dedicated to the Three Greats of Changzhou, modern audiovisual technology is used to vividly and comprehensively showcase their remarkable lives, delivering a powerful visual and auditory impact to visitors.

The site closely follows its founding mission of “commemorating martyrs and educating the public,” carrying out diverse patriotic education activities and playing an active role in building a harmonious Changzhou. Since being designated in 2005, the site has received 800,000 visitors, including party and state leaders, both domestic and international. It has been rated as a Provincial Civilized Unit for two consecutive years. The Commemorative Site of Changzhou’s “Three Greats” has gradually become an important venue for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education in Changzhou.

The central axis of the Zhang Tailei Memorial Hall features a typical two-courtyard, three-bay wooden structure of a traditional Jiangnan-style residence. Above the front gate is a plaque inscribed with “Zhang Tailei’s Former Residence,” personally written by the beloved Comrade Deng Xiaoping. In the courtyard stands a lifelike half-length white marble statue of Comrade Zhang Tailei, vividly portraying him as one of the early important leaders of the Communist Party of China, a founder of the Socialist Youth League of China, an outstanding political activist, and a staunch Marxist. The rear section of the house was where Zhang Tailei’s family temporarily resided from 1918 to 1925. His daughters Xi Ping and Xi Lei, and son Yi Yang, were all born here. The exquisitely restored displays with strong life-like details recreate the scenes of their daily life at the time, while also authentically documenting the living traces of Zhang Tailei and his son—both martyrs—and bearing witness to this heroic family’s great dedication and sacrifice to China’s revolution.

Qu Qiubai (1899–1935), male, Han ethnicity, from Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, member of the Communist Party of China.

In 1919, during the May Fourth Movement, Qu Qiubai participated in leading the student movement in Beijing. In early 1920, he joined the Marxist Theory Research Association. Later, he went to the Soviet Union as a journalist. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1922. After the failure of the Great Revolution, he presided over the August 7th Meeting, which established the Party’s general guidelines for the agrarian revolution and armed resistance against the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang. After the meeting, he served as Chairman of the Provisional Politburo of the Central Committee, leading the work of the Party Central Committee. In June 1928, he attended the Sixth Congress of the Party... More detailed information on Qu Qiubai ++