Red Army Cliff

Red Army Cliff

Red Army Cliff is a classic red tourism destination.

Red Army Cliff is located 500 meters north of Long’an Village, Dalong Township, Taining County.

In March 1934, after the fall of Taining County to enemy forces, the Taining County Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Taining County Soviet Government, along with some Red Army troops and guerrilla fighters, retreated through Meikou and Yikou to Shuangping and Long’an to continue the struggle. In early summer 1934, Kuomintang troops and militia launched a large-scale offensive against the Long’an Soviet Area, attempting to wipe out the Taining County Committee of the CCP and the Taining County Soviet Government that had relocated there. On June 26, over 100 cadres from the Taining County Soviet Government, along with Red Army soldiers and guerrilla fighters, were surrounded by the enemy on a high mountain not far from Long’an Bridge. The enemy set the mountain on fire, creating an extremely critical situation. To cover the retreat of the main force, a Red Army strike team was ordered to hold off the enemy. After successfully completing their blocking mission, to ensure the safe withdrawal of the strike team, communications officer Li Huoxing of the battalion headquarters stepped forward and volunteered to stay behind alone to delay the enemy.

Li Huoxing, whose birth date is unknown, was a native of Long’an, Taining, and lived at the foot of Baiya Fort. At the age of 12, he herded cattle for a landlord and often suffered beatings and abuse. In 1934, when the Taining County Committee of the CCP, the Taining County Soviet Government, and the Red Army Independent Battalion moved to Long’an, 15-year-old Li Huoxing joined the Red Army and became a communications officer for the Independent Battalion. After enlisting, Li participated in several battles. Clever and brave, and very familiar with the terrain around Baiya Fort, he was granted permission to carry out his request by the strike team. To draw the attention of the Kuomintang troops and militia, Li Huoxing carried a bag of supplies, shouldered his machine gun, ran while shooting and shouting, “Comrades, charge!” This drew the enemy towards the treacherous Baiya Fort. When the enemy climbed up the cliff but found no one there, Li Huoxing, who had been hiding in a cave, opened fire, and the enemies in front fell one after another. The enemy then concentrated their firepower and bombarded the top of Baiya Fort. Li Huoxing was knocked unconscious by the fierce artillery fire. When he regained consciousness, he rose again, shouldered his machine gun, and fired fiercely at the enemies charging up the hill. When he ran out of bullets, he threw rocks. Finally, facing the rapidly approaching enemy, he clenched his teeth, embraced his machine gun, and leapt off the cliff to his death. After the battle, people found Li Huoxing’s body at the foot of Baiya Fort and buried him where he had shed his blood. To commemorate this brave young Red Army soldier, the local people renamed Baiya Fort “Red Army Cliff.” The story of Red Army Cliff is still passed down in the Long’an area to this day.

Originally called Baiya Fort, Red Army Cliff is a steep rocky peak with an elevation of over 600 meters and covers a mountain area of 10,000 square meters. It features stone-built fort gates and narrow rock caves. The site includes three flat areas, which were historically used as ancient forts by villagers to guard against bandits. After the founding of New China, the local government erected a monument under Red Army Cliff to commemorate the young hero Li Huoxing and the Red Army soldiers who died in Long’an. Red Army Cliff has since become an important patriotic education site in Dalong Township.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee

Dalong Township: Formed in April 2005 through the merger of the former Dabu and Long’an townships, Dalong Township is located in the southwest of Taining County. It governs 16 administrative villages and 89 villager groups, with a population of 11,500, covering an area of 310 square kilometers. The township is rich in resources, with nearly 100 million cubic meters of granite reserves and over 20,000 kilowatts of hydropower potential. The Jinrao Mountain, characterized mainly by granite landforms, and Baxian Cliff, dominated by Danxia landforms, are two of the five major geological zones within Taining County’s Global Geopark. The Laohuji Folk Village showcases the distinctive features of an original mountain village of the Hakka people in southern China.

The township is closely surrounded... More detailed information about Dalong Township++