Shenkeng Ridge Battle Site

Shenkeng Ridge Battle Site

The Shenkeng Ridge Battle Site is a classic red tourism attraction.

The Shenkeng Ridge Battle Site is located on Shenkeng Ridge behind Yunzhu Village in Sanyuan District, Sanming City.

In May 1934, the Eastern Army left Fujian to join the main battlefield of the Fifth Encirclement Campaign, leaving the Red 7th Army Corps to operate in northwestern Fujian. On the 28th, Xun Huazhou and Su Yu led the Red 7th Army Corps in relocating from Sha County to Mingxi, setting up camp in Huyuan and Yunzhu. The 239th Regiment of the Nationalist 80th Division moved from Xinkou toward Huyuan and seized key positions such as Nanyang Gorge on Shenkeng Ridge ahead of time. At dawn on the 29th, our forces initially attacked with just one regiment and quickly found themselves in a passive position, unable to advance uphill. With villagers from Yunzhu and Huyuan serving as guides, the Red Army directed the other two regiments to flank the enemy and penetrate the gaps between their front and rear lines. By 2 p.m., having reached the designated positions, they launched a general offensive. The Nationalist front and rear lines were thrown into disarray, attacking each other in confusion. Seizing the opportunity, our forces captured key positions including Nanyang Gorge. The Nationalist troops, facing certain defeat, retreated en masse toward Shenkeng Ridge and then Xinkou. Shenkeng Ridge had only one treacherous, narrow path, flanked by steep mountains on one side and a hundred-meter cliff on the other. Our forces pursued relentlessly, and in addition to those killed or wounded, countless Nationalist soldiers fell to their deaths off the cliffs. After the battle, observers noted that the vegetation on one side of the cliff had been completely stripped away by tumbling bodies, and even decades later, the ravine floor was littered with remains and helmets.

After the Shenkeng Ridge Battle, the Central Soviet Area’s official newspaper Red China reported: “As a result, an entire brigade was annihilated by our forces, with nearly 2,000 soldiers and officers captured, dozens of heavy and light machine guns seized, several cannons, and other military supplies piled up like mountains, currently under inventory.” The Central Revolutionary Military Commission issued an order awarding Second-Class Red Star Medals to Regiment Commander Wang Yunrui and Chief of Staff Xia Xingzhong, and a Third-Class Red Star Medal to Regiment Club Director Zhang Zhijian.

The Shenkeng Ridge Battle was a major victory for the Central Soviet Area’s eastern front during the Fifth Encirclement Campaign. It eliminated a large number of Nationalist troops, disrupted the offensive plans of the Eastern Route Army, delayed their push toward the Central Soviet Area, and bought precious time for the strategic relocation of the Central Red Army.

Shenkeng Ridge has an elevation of over 500 meters and features a relatively flat summit surrounded by peaks, covering a total area of 3 square kilometers. A small path along the ridge leads to Yunzhu Village, and a hundred-meter-deep cliff lies beneath the ridge.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee

Zhongcun Township: A township under the jurisdiction of Sanyuan District, Sanming City. Established as Qunfeng Commune in 1958, renamed Zhongcun Commune in 1959, changed to Zhongcun Subdistrict in 1984, and became a township in 1987. Located in the southeastern part of the city, it is 13.7 kilometers from downtown. Covering an area of 197.5 square kilometers with a population of 14,000, it is traversed by Provincial Highway 212. The township administers 18 village committees: Zhongcun, Baishui, Nanjing, Huiyao, Putoucheng, Juyang, Songyang, Qiancun, Zhangkeng, Miyang, Yunzhu, Dabaokeng, Jifeng, Dushui, Jiaokeng, Kangyuan, Dingtai, and Caoyang. The main agricultural product is rice. Township industrial products include marble, qing... More details about Zhongcun Township++