Former Frontline Headquarters of Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains

Former Frontline Headquarters of Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains

The Former Frontline Headquarters of Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Former Frontline Headquarters of Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains is located in Tianzhuangzhai Town, Jinzhai County. On June 30, 1947, following central directives, the Liu-Deng Army set out from Heze, a key city in southwestern Shandong, and on August 27, completed its thousand-mile march into the Dabie Mountains. Like a sharp blade thrust into the heart of the enemy, it effectively contained —. On December 30 of that year, the frontline command post was established at the residence of the Zhou family in Xiawufang. To recreate the glorious history and arduous journey of the Liu-Deng Army’s thousand-mile march into the Dabie Mountains, further explore the “red” culture, echo it with the green resources of Tianzhuangzhai, and promote local economic development, the Lu’an Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government decided to rebuild the Frontline Headquarters in Tianzhuangzhai. The project site, 500 meters from the old location, features a geographical environment similar to the original site and stands opposite the completed Dabie Mountain National Geopark Museum, complementing it visually.

On September 25, 2009, Anhui Tourism Group and the Lu’an Municipal Government jointly held a grand ceremony at Tianzhuangzhai to mark the “Completion and Reopening of the Reconstructed Former Site of the Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains Frontline Headquarters.” Key leaders from the Provincial Tourism Administration, Lu’an Municipal Party Committee, Lu’an Municipal Government, PLA Electronic Engineering Institute, Anhui Tourism Group, Shanghai Zhabei District Tourism Bureau, Huangpu Tourism Bureau, Huanggang City Tourism Bureau of Hubei Province, and Luotian County Tourism Bureau, along with nearly 2,000 officials and residents from relevant municipal departments, county and district governments, and Jinzhai County departments and townships, attended the ceremony. Li Qiao, Deputy Secretary of the Lu’an Municipal Party Committee, Wu Hao, Inspector of the Provincial Tourism Administration, Guan Weizhong of Anhui Tourism Group, and Zhu Xiaoke, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Zhabei District People’s Congress, jointly unveiled the plaque for the reconstructed Former Site.

The Dabie Mountains have been designated by the General Office of the Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council as one of China’s twelve classic red tourism regions, with the theme “Thousand-Mile March, Hometown of Generals.” To fully tap and utilize revolutionary historical and cultural resources and actively develop red tourism, Anhui Tourism Group, guided by the development strategy of “using red to boost green, and integrating red and green,” prioritized the reconstruction of the Liu-Deng Army’s Dabie Mountains Frontline Headquarters as a key focus of tourism development. Preliminary work including investigation, planning, design, and scheme evaluation commenced in 2007, and construction officially began on October 28, 2008. After 11 months, all civil engineering and exhibition setup tasks were completed, and the site opened to visitors as scheduled on September 25, 2009.

The Former Frontline Headquarters of Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains project was invested in by Anhui Tourism Group, covering an area of 24,256 square meters, and includes the headquarters building, a square, and a crescent-shaped pond. The main structure was designed and built based on the layout of the original site. Adhering to the principle of “restoring the old as it was,” it recreates the Huizhou architectural style characterized by “blue bricks, small tiles, and horse-head walls.” The overall structure is primarily single-story with partial two-story sections, featuring a brick-and-wood construction, five courtyards and three longitudinal sections integrated into one, achieving the visual and spatial effect of “moving through the corridors without wetting one’s feet.”

The exhibition inside the former headquarters site centers on the historical events of the Liu-Deng Army’s thousand-mile march into the Dabie Mountains. Through a combination of text, images, physical artifacts, and high-tech methods such as sound, electricity, and light, it employs a chronological approach to comprehensively narrate the historical facts before, during, and after the march. It vividly recreates the historical scenes of the Liu-Deng Army overcoming various challenges, defeating the enemy, and achieving continuous military miracles while stationed in the Dabie Mountains. The exhibition area is divided into the Hall of the Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains, the Operations Meeting Hall, and the Hall of Golden Triangle-born Founding Generals, displaying and exhibiting life and living scenes of —, —, and other — during their time in the Dabie Mountains. The photos, texts, and artifacts in the exhibition halls are not only abundant but also concentrated and comprehensive, fully presenting and reconstructing the entire combat journey of the Liu-Deng Army’s thousand-mile march into the Dabie Mountains.

The completion and opening of the Liu-Deng Army’s Thousand-Mile March into the Dabie Mountains Frontline Headquarters not only complements the green resources of Tianzhuangzhai and enriches its tourism offerings but also provides a platform and carrier for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education. It holds significant and far-reaching importance for commemorating the glorious achievements of the Liu-Deng Army’s advance into the Dabie Mountains, widely promoting patriotic and revolutionary tradition education, and enriching the visitor experience at Tianzhuangzhai. It also serves as a meaningful tribute to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.