Sedge Platform (Site of the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang Uprising)

Sedge Platform (Site of the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang Uprising)

Located in Sedge Platform Village, Xisipo Town, Yongqiao District, Suzhou City, Anhui Province, it lies 7 km east of the Jinpu Railway and 8 km west of National Highway 206, offering very convenient transportation. In ancient times, this area was a marshland, hence the name "Daze Township." China’s first major peasant uprising—the Daze Township Uprising—originated here.

In 209 BC, Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, and 900 conscripts were sent to Yuyang to serve as border guards. When they reached Daze Township, they were delayed by heavy rain and faced execution for missing the deadline. “It’s death either way—if we flee or if we rebel. Since we’re going to die, why not die for our country?” Chen Sheng and Wu Guang then cleverly killed the military officer, led the group to cut trees for weapons and poles for flags, built an altar to swear an oath, and rose up against the oppressive Qin Dynasty. Because Chen Sheng’s courtesy name was She, later generations named their oath-taking altar “Sedge Platform.”

Sedge Platform is shaped like an inverted truncated pyramid, 4.6 meters high on the north side, 3.2 meters on the south, 67.6 meters long from east to west, 65.5 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of 4,427.8 square meters. It is surrounded by green trees, offering an elegant environment. Several ancient cypresses grow on the platform, and an old well remains on the eastern edge, over 20 meters deep, known as the “Dragon Eye Well,” a remnant of a former temple. Four stone tablets from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era, Qing Dynasty's Daoguang and Guangxu eras, and the 29th year of the Republic of China are preserved on Sedge Platform. According to the inscriptions, a “Pavilion Temple” was established here before the Ming Dynasty. On the southern edge stands an ancient dead tree resembling a dragon, covered in scale-like patterns, called the “Zhe Long Tree.”

Seventy meters to the south along the central axis stands a large relief sculpture depicting the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang Uprising. The sculpture is 9 meters tall, 6.2 meters wide, 1.7 meters thick, and weighs a total of 120 tons. Its torch-like shape symbolizes Chen Sheng and Wu Guang igniting the flames of China’s first major peasant uprising. In the sculpture, Chen Sheng holds a sword in his right hand pointing toward Qixian County and raises his left arm to rally the rebel army, while Wu Guang glares fiercely, wielding a club and charging at the front. This sculpture design won a bronze award at the 1984 National Urban Sculpture Competition.

Around Sedge Platform are other scenic spots such as the Place of the Fox’s Fire and the Bay of the Fish with Red Scrolls, as well as the Seventy-Two Linked Camps, all with related stories recorded in “Records of the Grand Historian: The House of Chen She.” To the southeast is the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang Uprising Memorial Hall “Honghu Garden,” a classical-style building with a total area of 2,475 square meters. It combines a stele corridor and a cultural relics exhibition hall, housing dozens of inscribed stone tablets by famous artists and displaying nearly 500 paintings and calligraphy pieces gifted by renowned artists from across the country.

As the birthplace of China’s first peasant uprising, Sedge Platform is the origin of Chinese peasant wars and revolutions, a historical carrier and witness, and a great monument of history. It was designated as a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit in 1961.

Chen Sheng, courtesy name She, was a native of Nanyang Commandery, Ruyang (today’s Dongmengwa Village, Fangcheng County, Henan Province). He was one of the leaders of the Wu Guang Uprising.

Chen Sheng (d. 208 BC), courtesy name She, was a native of Yangcheng in the Chu Kingdom. One of the leaders of the anti-Qin resistance in the late Qin Dynasty, he and Wu Guang led a revolt in Daze Township (today’s southwestern Suzhou, Anhui) and became pioneers of the rebel forces. Soon after, he declared himself king in Chen Commandery and established the Zhangchu regime. He was later defeated by the Qin general Zhang Han and was assassinated by his charioteer.

At the time, under the brutal rule of the Qin Dynasty, class oppression was extremely severe. Unwilling to be enslaved and sympathetic to others in similar fates... More details about Chen Sheng ++

Wu Guang (d. 208 BC), courtesy name Shu, was a native of Yangxia (today’s Taikang County, Henan Province). Together with Chen Sheng, he was a leader of the peasant uprising in the late Qin Dynasty. In July of the first year of the reign of the Second Emperor of Qin (209 BC), the court conscripted civilians from the poorer class to guard Yuyang. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang served as captains. When they reached Daze Township (today’s southeastern Suzhou, Anhui), they were stopped by heavy rain and could not arrive on time. According to Qin law, being late meant execution. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang then initiated a mutiny among the conscripts, raising the slogan “The Great Chu will rise, Chen Sheng will be king.” Chen Sheng declared himself general and appointed Wu Guang as commandant, using the names of the deceased eldest son of the First Emperor of Qin, Fu Su, and the Chu general Xiang Yan, to rally support... More details about Wu Guang ++

Sedge Platform Village: Named after the site of China’s first peasant uprising in history, Sedge Platform Village is located 40 li (approximately 20 km) south of Suzhou City, 7 km east of the Jinpu Railway, and 8 km west of National Highway 206, offering very convenient transportation. It administers seven natural villages—Jiangjia, Hejia, Wuji, Yinjia, Dazhaojia, Xiaozhaojia, and the new Sedge Platform Village—and 15 villager groups. Covering an area of 3.89 square kilometers, it has a population of 2,294, with 510 households and over 3,760 mu of arable land. Approximately 800 villagers work outside the village, and there are 22 households receiving the Five Guarantees social welfare. The village’s Party branch oversees three Party branches and 11 Party... More details about Sedge Platform Village ++