Former Site of the Xialong Soviet Government

Former Site of the Xialong Soviet Government

The former site of the Xialong Soviet Government is a cultural heritage protection unit of Fujian Province and a classic red tourism destination.

The former site of the Xialong Soviet Government is located at Deying Hall in Xialong Village, Makeng Township, Hua’an County.

In August 1929, Zhu De led the Central Red Army to capture Yongfu Township in Zhangping County, where the Yongfu Township Soviet Government and a peasant armed force known as the Red Guards were established. Chen Cirong, the chairman of the Soviet Government, sent people to the neighboring Makeng Township in Hua’an County to carry out revolutionary activities. They propagated revolution and the policies of the Party and the Red Army to impoverished peasants, quickly gaining strong support from them. After a period of preparation, influenced by the Yongfu Uprising, local villagers took action by opening the grain storage of landlords and distributing the grain to poor people. In February 1930, the Xialong Village Soviet Government and peasant armed Red Guards were established. The Xialong Soviet Government was headquartered at Deying Hall, with Li Youli serving as the chairman of the Soviet Government and Li Shuijin as the captain of the Red Guards. After its establishment, the Xialong Soviet Government sent people to nearby villages such as Wenhua to promote revolution, posting slogans and banners of the Red Army, encouraging peasants to rise against landlord exploitation. This gained responses from surrounding villages. The revolutionary activities of the Xialong Soviet alarmed the authorities. In October 1932, the militia stationed in Hexi, along with the overthrown local tyrants and evil gentry from Xialong, launched a counterattack on Xialong. Due to the “encirclement and suppression” by reactionary forces and betrayal by informants, the organization was dismantled. Li Youli and others were captured and taken to Hexi in Nanjing, where they were brutally tortured by the militia and ultimately died heroically after being disemboweled. The revolutionary activities of the Xialong Soviet suffered a severe setback.

The former site of the Xialong Soviet Government, Deying Hall, was originally a residential house with a construction area of over 100 square meters. It faces south and has a main building consisting of two courtyards and three rooms, totaling seven rooms.

In 2013, the former site of the Xialong Soviet Government was announced by the People’s Government of Fujian Province as part of the eighth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage protection units.

Protected area: an extension of 20 meters around the former site.

Xialong Village: Xialong Village is one of the six administrative villages in Makeng Township, Hua’an County, Zhangzhou City. It is located at the junction of Nanjing, Zhangping, and Hua’an counties. With long mountain roads and continuous ranges of hills, transportation is inconvenient. The village has over 20 kilometers of farm roads, but no cement roads have been built yet. It is 8 kilometers east of Wenhua and 9 kilometers south of Hexi Beichang.

[Village and Residents] The total area of the village is 1.9 square kilometers, with a population of 1,030. There are 270 permanently residing households, covering three natural villages and seven villager groups.

[Village Culture and Appearance] Xialong Village has two ancestral halls, among which the descendants of Zijue Hall have continued for nineteen generations... More details about Xialong Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units in Fujian