Huanchuan Farmers' Association Memorial Hall

Huanchuan Farmers' Association Memorial Hall

The Huanchuan Farmers' Association Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination.

In January 1927, with the Northern Expeditionary Army making triumphant advances into Wenzhou, the peasant movement and farmers' association organizations centered around Pingyang Jiangnan (now part of Cangnan County) flourished. In early February of the same year, the county's first grassroots farmers' association—the Huanchuan Farmers' Association—was established at Xietian Temple in Dongshe Village, Xin'an Township, Cangnan County, with hundreds of members joining. Zhang Peinong, president of the Pingyang County Farmers' Association, along with Ye Tingpeng, Lin Zhen, Li Fuchen, and others, attended the founding meeting. As the red flag bearing the emblem of a plow was raised above the venue, the crowd erupted in cheers, and slogans rang out loud and clear. The meeting elected Ye Tingpeng as the president of the Huanchuan Farmers' Association and Lin Zhen as vice president. After its establishment, under the slogan "All power to the Farmers' Association," the Huanchuan Farmers' Association launched struggles against local despots and evil gentry, abolished exorbitant taxes and levies, reduced rents and interest rates, and implemented fair grain distribution. These efforts dealt a heavy blow to feudal forces in the countryside and demonstrated the immense power of the farmers' association. After the "April 12" counter-revolutionary coup, although the peasant movement was suppressed, members of the Huanchuan Farmers' Association continued their struggle, participating in two battles to capture Pingyang County.

The Huanchuan Farmers' Association Memorial Hall is located in Dongshe Village, Xin'an Township, Cangnan County. In October 1993, it was rebuilt from the original site of the Huanchuan Farmers' Association—Xietian Temple. The memorial hall covers an area of 924 square meters, with a construction area of 684 square meters. It is a two-story concrete structure with five bays, facing south, and consists of three parts: the memorial room, side rooms, and rear hall. Above the main gate hangs a plaque inscribed with "Former Site of the Huanchuan Farmers' Association," flanked by couplets reading "Learn the revolutionary spirit of the martyrs; uphold the fine traditions of our Party." Passing through the gate and corridor, you enter a courtyard, with side rooms on both sides serving as activity rooms for the elderly association. Further ahead is the rear hall, which retains the original architectural style of the former Xietian Temple. Ascending the stairs, the corridors of the side rooms connect to the front memorial building. The roof is covered with golden glazed tiles, with striking upturned eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters, giving it a unique charm. The memorial room displays portraits of martyrs who engaged in revolutionary activities in Huanchuan, including Wang Guozhen, Zhang Peinong, You Fu, Wu Xinzhi, Ye Tingpeng, Lin Zhen, Fang Shihui, and Li Yingcai, along with biographies of their lives. It also exhibits the red flag with the plow emblem used at the time, a chronicle of major events of the Huanchuan Farmers' Association, a schematic of revolutionary activities, and inscriptions from leaders at various levels.

The Huanchuan Farmers' Association Memorial Hall is a patriotic education base in Cangnan County.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Wenzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China