Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster

Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster

The Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism attraction.

The Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster is located in Zhangshantou Natural Village, Xiaojian Village, Yangzhuang Township, Wuyishan City, dating back to the 1930s.

Description: It mainly consists of three large sections — Dongkengtou, Wayao, and Muping. The surface observation of the burial mounds shows they are all earthen tombs, rectangular in plan, with arched earthen mounds on top. A small number of un-mortared blue thin bricks (locally called hezi bricks) or stones are laid dry in front of the tombs as tomb seals, serving as tomb mound markers. Within the site, there is one Red Army tombstone made of weathered rock, standing on Dongkengtou Mountain. At the center of the top of the stele is a sunken five-pointed star with a circular ornament inside. The body of the stele bears a total of seven characters, with the three central characters “Red Army Tomb” carved in intaglio. The bottom right corner is inscribed with four characters “Erected in the 31st Year” in intaglio. The cemetery mainly interred Red Army officers and soldiers from the Min-Zhe-Jiang Soviet Area and staff of the Soviet government. A preliminary cleanup has revealed 1,343 tombs, covering an area of approximately 1,000 acres, among which Tomb No. 1 on Dongkengtou Mountain is the grave of Comrade Wang Rihua, director of the Red Army Hospital. The site also retains relics such as the Northern Fujian Red Army Hospital, outpatient department, inpatient department, detention center, artillery positions, and trenches.

Protected area boundaries: Dongkengtou section: east to Dongkengtou field ridge, south to the ancient path, west to the mountain ridge of Shantoupai, north to the mountain ridge of Shangqiupan. Muping section: east to the lower horizontal road at the gap of Laohuzui, south to the mountain ridge of Huangnitanzi, west to the roadside of Laohuzui, north to the ancient path. Wayao section: east to the tea mountain, south to the Wayao mountain ridge, west to the Kuzhutou road, north to the field ridge.

In 2018, the Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster was announced by the Fujian Provincial People’s Government as part of the ninth batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Relics Protection Units.

On October 7, 2019, the Zhangshantou Red Army Cemetery Cluster was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Xiaojian Village: Xiaojian Village is located along Provincial Highway 303, with very convenient transportation. It is 15 kilometers from the urban area and 5 kilometers from the township government. The village currently has 23,600 mu of forest land (including 7,815 mu of bamboo forest), 1,881 mu of arable land, 10 natural villages, 15 villager groups, 246 households, and 989 residents. Villagers are mainly engaged in agriculture, forestry, tea production, and pigeon farming. In 2008, the village had a fiscal income of 80,000 yuan and a per capita income of 4,304 yuan for farmers. … More details about Xiaojian Village++

Further reading:

· Ninth Batch of Fujian Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units