Ancillary Historic Sites of the Gutian Conference

Ancillary Historic Sites of the Gutian Conference

The Ancillary Historic Sites of the Gutian Conference are listed as cultural heritage sites under protection by Fujian Province and are recognized as classic red tourism destinations.

The Ancillary Historic Sites of the Gutian Conference are located in Bacha Village, Xibei Village, Shangyang Village, Wulong Village, and Sujiaopo Village in Gutian Town, Shanghang County, dating back to 1929.

Description: These consist of seven sites closely related to the Gutian Conference, including the former site of the Red Army Soldiers' Committee (Yugong Ancestral Hall), the former site of the Red Army Medical Department (Jixing Tang), the former site of the logistics department of the Fourth Red Army (Duhou Tang), the former site of the Fourth Red Army sentry post (Wenguang Pavilion and Red Army Bridge), the former training site for cadres of the Western Fujian Special Committee (Hongyu Tang), and the Shenzhenbei Cave in Sujiaopo. They serve as supplements and extensions to the essence of the Gutian Conference, providing crucial logistical and security support for its convening.

Jixing Tang, also known as the former site of the Red Army Medical Department, is a cultural heritage site protected by Shanghang County. It is located in Bacha Village, Gutian Town, Shanghang County, Longyan City, Fujian Province. According to the genealogy of the Liao family in Gutian: “Jixing Tang” was built by brothers Liao Jixing and Liao Yongxing from Gutian. Originally constructed during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, it faces southwest and covers an area of 564 square meters. The structure features a raised-beam and post-and-lintel wooden framework, with a gable and hip roof, and includes side courtyards and wing rooms on both sides.

In December 1929, the Fourth Red Army stationed in Gutian, and the medical department was set up here. The building hosts various themed red culture exhibitions. In June 2006, Jixing Tang was designated as part of the seventh batch of cultural heritage sites protected by Shanghang County. In September 2018, it was included in the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites and their protected areas.

In April 1928, the Fourth Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army was established on Jinggang Mountain. Alongside its military and political institutions, the army also set up corresponding logistics departments, including a quartermaster’s office, a rear-area office, a medical department, and an ordnance department. Bao Gang served as the first head of the medical department.

Songyin Tang, also known as Yongdong Building, is located in Bacha Village, Gutian Town. Originally built in the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1807), it is a brick-and-wood structure. This enclosed-style building has two floors, two courtyards, five halls, and seven bays, covering a construction area of 850 square meters and a site area of 1,235 square meters. The layout consists of a main building flanked by two wings. The main building includes the main gate, front hall, courtyard, central hall, side rooms, and rear hall, while the wings are side chambers. The central hall is a stacked single-story structure, and the rear hall is a two-story building. The entire complex blends characteristics of southern Chinese and Hakka architectural styles, featuring upturned eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters.

In mid-December 1929, after the Fourth Red Army moved into Gutian, the Front Committee and the Political Department were stationed here. Mao Zedong, Chen Yi, and staff from the Front Committee and Political Department also lived here, actively preparing for the upcoming 9th Congress of the Fourth Red Army. Mao Zedong, then Secretary of the Front Committee, drafted the over 20,000-word "Draft Resolution of the 9th Congress of the Fourth Red Army" here, laying a solid foundation for the successful convening of the Gutian Conference.

In the 1920s, foreign missionaries forcibly rented Songyin Tang as a chapel. In May 1929, after the Fourth Red Army entered Fujian for the second time and arrived in Gutian, the foreign missionaries left one after another. In December, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi, and others led the Fourth Red Army into Gutian and stationed the Front Committee and Political Department in Songyin Tang. Mao Zedong, Chen Yi, and the staff also resided here, preparing diligently for the 9th Congress of the Fourth Red Army.

In preparation for the Gutian Conference, Mao Zedong was extremely busy. During the day, he attended various symposiums and investigation meetings; at night, he organized notes and drafted the resolution. The cold of the Gutian mountain winter was piercing and unbearable. When night fell, He Zizhen would light a charcoal brazier using an abandoned nearly one-meter-wide cooking pot in the bedroom she shared with Mao Zedong. This steaming brazier, together with the dim light of an oil lamp, accompanied Mao through many sleepless nights, laying a solid foundation for the success of the Gutian Conference.

Yugong Ancestral Hall, also known as Rongxing Tang, is located in Bacha Village, Gutian Town. Built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries, it was named after its builder, Liao Yugong (courtesy name Rongxing). In mid-December 1929, after the Fourth Red Army moved into Gutian, the Red Army Soldiers' Committee was established here. In September 2018, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

Zhongxing Tang is located in Bacha Village, Gutian Town, Shanghang County. Built in the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty (1805), it is an enclosed-style building with a layout of one main section and three wings. In December 1929, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi, and others led the Fourth Red Army into Gutian, and the Red Army Command was stationed in Zhongxing Tang. Comrade Zhu De lived in the left wing room of the rear hall.

After the Fourth Red Army moved into Gutian, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi, and others held joint meetings with representatives at various levels here, calling on attendees to work together to eliminate all kinds of non-proletarian consciousness. After more than ten days of study and discussion, the representatives gained a deeper understanding of various erroneous non-proletarian ideas within the Party and proposed corrective measures.

In addition to actively assisting Mao Zedong, Zhu De also drafted the "Report on Military Issues" here, which was read at the Gutian Conference. He also wrote "New Guerrilla Tactics," a groundbreaking Marxist-Leninist military work that emphasized practice and case studies, explaining military theory in vivid and accessible language.

Duhou Tang was built in 1806, covering an area of approximately 9,000 square meters with a construction area of 420 square meters. Located about 170 meters north of the Gutian Conference site, the building is a single-story brick-and-wood structure surrounded by half-brick walls (blue bricks), with arched thatched roofs (Yangyuan Back) at the rear. The upper and lower halls feature wooden pillars, and the room partitions are made of earth and wood. It faces west and is built along a slope, higher in the back and lower in the front, representing a typical Hakka enclosed house.

In May and December 1929, when the Fourth Red Army was stationed in Gutian, Duhou Tang served as barracks for Red Army soldiers. Especially during the Gutian Conference in December, the quartermaster’s department, ordnance department, and medical station of the Fourth Red Army were all stationed here. In September 2018, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

Wenguang Pavilion is located to the right front of the Gutian Conference site and was originally built during the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty. During the Red Army's military training in Gutian, Wenguang Pavilion served as a primary sentry post and was referred to locally as the Red Army sentry post. In September 2018, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site.

Protected area: Yugong Ancestral Hall, Duhou Tang, Jixing Tang: 10 meters outward from each side of the buildings. Wenguang Pavilion: 20 meters outward from each side of the pavilion. Red Army Bridge: 20 meters outward from each side of the bridge. Hongyu Tang: east to the power station wall, west to 10 meters outside the west wall, south to 10 meters outside the enclosing wall, north to 10 meters outside the rear eave wall. Shenzhenbei Cave in Sujiaopo: east to the mountain ridge, west to the west bank of the stream, south to the parking lot, north to 30 meters outside the cave.

In 2018, the Ancillary Historic Sites of the Gutian Conference were announced by the People’s Government of Fujian Province as part of the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites.

Bacha Village: Located in the central area of Gutian Town, Bacha Village is home to the Political Department and Command of the Fourth Red Army, as well as a cadre education base for Fujian Province. The village is divided into 11 villager groups, with 420 households and a population of 1,570. It has 7 village committee officials and 54 Party members. The total area of the village is 7.7 square kilometers, with forested land covering 6,029 mu and arable land 1,400 mu. The main sources of income for villagers are farming, business, and wage labor. The annual average temperature is 17.5°C, annual rainfall averages 1,980 mm, and the frost-free period lasts about 270 days. It has a subtropical monsoon climate, with mountain elevations ranging from 570 to... Detailed information on Bacha Village++

Further reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Heritage Sites Protected by Fujian Province