Former Site of the Red 13th Army Garrison

Former Site of the Red 13th Army Garrison

In April 1930, in accordance with the unified deployment of the Zhejiang South Red Army Guerrilla Headquarters, Lei Gaosheng, commander of the First Detachment, led 21 Red Army officers and soldiers from Taoshan in Ruian, entering the territory of Wencheng for the first time. After briefly staying in Chengping and Guoshan, they gathered with over 70 Red Army soldiers and peasant militia members from areas including Guoshan, Mengdi, Zhangtai, and Longchuan. On the night of the 11th, they launched a surprise attack on the Nationalist Daxi Police Station, seizing over 20 rifles and handguns.

In November of that year, the main forces of the Red 13th Army were encircled and annihilated by the Nationalist army, leading to drastic changes in the revolutionary struggle environment in Yongjia’s Nanxi region of the Zhejiang South Revolutionary Base. To preserve the seeds of revolution, Lei Gaosheng, commander of the First Regiment of the Red 13th Army, led over 40 Red Army soldiers to garrison in Guoshan Village, Wencheng County. Located at the junction of Ruian, Pingyang, and Wencheng, Guoshan Village features rugged roads, high mountains, and dense forests, as well as being an area where the Nationalists had little presence—making it conducive to guerrilla operations. During their stay, the Red 13th Army set up furnaces to manufacture weapons, casting shotguns and forging knives and spears, arming local peasants and replenishing the Red Army’s weaponry, while also expanding the ranks of the Red Army. On December 23, after learning that the Nationalist reactionaries were mobilizing security battalions from Ruian, Pingyang, and local militias to besiege Guoshan, the Red 13th Army immediately relocated. Thereafter, Guoshan was besieged three times by the Nationalist reactionaries, resulting in the tragic deaths of four party members and civilians, the burning and destruction of countless houses, and heavy losses.

The Former Site of the Red 13th Army Garrison is located in Mengdi, Guoshan Village, Pinghe Township, Wencheng County. The village is surrounded by mountains, with fresh air and a beautiful environment.

Source: Party History Research Office of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee