Shatanggou

Shatanggou

Pingbei Red First Village is located 9 kilometers northwest of Dazhuangke Township, 49 kilometers from Yanqing County, and 74 kilometers from Beijing, making it easily accessible.

During the Anti-Japanese War, it was one of the earliest areas of the Pingbei Anti-Japanese Base. In 1938, the first rural Party branch in the Pingbei region was established in Shatanggou, where the revolutionary spark was ignited and six rural Party members were developed. Throughout the war years, the people of this revolutionary base engaged in arduous struggles against the Japanese invaders. The guerrilla forces supported the front lines from the rear, the Women’s Salvation Association cooked for soldiers, made military shoes, and sewed uniforms, while the Children’s Corps kept watch. The villagers united to resist the Japanese, making significant contributions.

To commemorate this revolutionary history and inspire future generations, Dazhuangke Township held the “Pingbei Red First Village” Revolutionary Tradition Education Exhibition in June 2003 in Shatanggou, known as the “Pingbei Red First Village.” The exhibition featured display boards and a large number of artifacts, primarily introducing the birthplace of the revolution in the Pingbei region, the history of Party member development, and the efforts of leaders such as Song Shilun and Deng Hua of the Fourth Column in leading the people to fight against the Japanese puppet forces, as well as the land reform carried out by the people of the revolutionary base and their active support for the Liberation War.

In 2004, Pingbei Red First Village was jointly named a “University Student Social Practice Base” by five organizations, including the Beijing Municipal Committee Propaganda Department, the Communist Youth League Beijing Municipal Committee, and the Capital University Students’ Federation. In April 2005, the county Women’s Federation designated the village as a “Women’s Red Education Base.” Since the launch of the revolutionary tradition education, nearly 10,000 Party members from universities such as Beijing College of Finance and Trade and Capital Medical University have come here to renew their oath of Party membership and receive revolutionary tradition education.

Pingbei Red First Village is not only an ideal place for revolutionary tradition education but also a great destination to experience local life. The villagers live within a horseshoe-shaped mountain valley. The small village has 80 households and over 200 residents. The locals are kind and harmonious, with neighborly unity passed down through generations. The old-style adobe houses with traditional kang beds and old-fashioned gateways make you feel the warmth and honesty of the elders. Whether relatives, neighbors, friends, or guests, they are always willing to share what little they have, offering you a bowl of porridge, a bundle of firewood, or a heartfelt kindness that you’ll never forget. Their simple and sincere hospitality will make you reluctant to leave, filling you with a deep sense of nostalgia.

The village residences are quite distinctive. Once you arrive, you’ll notice: the villagers all live on the northern mountains. Upon closer observation, you’ll see that each household is backed by the mountain and faces forward, embraced by the V-shaped mountain range at the village entrance, giving the area a very secluded feel. When you come to the village, you’ll be enveloped by the serene mountains, as if entering a dreamlike realm where “the quiet village greets magpie calls, and low mountains watch wild geese fly far away.”

This ancient village is surrounded by lush forests and many century-old trees. Even more magical is an old walnut tree with a small mulberry tree growing on it, creating a rare sight of a tree growing on a tree. In your free time, you can try your hand at farm work with the locals. Stroll along the stone-paved paths, admire the round-mouthed wells, touch the horse-tethering posts, push the large stone mills, and watch farmers plow fields, build up ridges for planting vegetables, and prune fruit trees—experiencing the simple local customs and returning to nature’s embrace.

Opening Hours: Year-round

Address: Dazhuangke Township, Yanqing County

Phone: 60189824

Price: Free Admission

Transportation

By Car: From Madian Bridge on the North Third Ring Road in Beijing, take the Jingzang Expressway, exit at Changping Intersection, drive to Changling, then continue north along National Highway 108 (Changyi Road).

By Bus: Take bus 925 from Liupukang in the city to Bailongtan; or take bus 925 from Yanqing County Bus Station to Bailongtan.

Dazhuangke Township: Located in the deep mountainous area southeast of Yanqing County, Dazhuangke Township is 40 kilometers from the county seat and 70 kilometers from Beijing. It borders Changping to the south and Huairou to the east. The Changchi Highway runs through the township, the Daqin Railway crosses it, and the West Railway runs through the western part of the township. The total area of the township is 125.7 square kilometers. It currently has 1,352 mu of cultivated land. The township governs 29 administrative villages, 40 natural villages, 1,937 households, and 5,414 people, with a population density of 43 people per square kilometer. There are 28 rural Party branches and a total of 745 Party members.

Dazhuangke Township has a temperate continental monsoon climate... More details about Dazhuangke Township++