Historic Site of the Red Army’s Vital Passage

Historic Site of the Red Army’s Vital Passage

The historic site of the Red Army’s vital passage is a classic destination for red tourism.

The historic site of the Red Army’s vital passage — the ancient post road and bridges in Dayuan — is located in the Upper and Lower Dayuan natural villages of Dayuan Village, Taining County. It served as a crucial passage for the Red Army traveling between Fujian and Jiangxi provinces during that period.

Dayuan Village is located at the border of Fujian and Jiangxi, serving as an important gateway and trade route between the two provinces. The village still preserves ancient post roads and bridges leading to Desheng Pass in Jiangxi. Between June 1931 and July 1934, these ancient routes became key passages frequently used by the Red Army traveling between Fujian and Jiangxi. Senior Red Army generals such as Peng Dehuai, Yang Shangkun, Lin Biao, Nie Rongzhen, Luo Ronghuan, Dong Zhentang, and Xiao Jingguang led the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Red Armies through this important passage to fight in the Jian-Li-Tai (Ning, Lichuan, Taining) Revolutionary Base Area and participate in the counter-“encirclement and suppression” campaigns.

The ancient post road of Dayuan Village runs through the settlement, connecting the Upper and Lower Dayuan areas, and extends directly to Chahua Pass and Yan Pass, with a total length of approximately 11 kilometers. Except for some sections damaged by floods and subsequently repaired, the rest remains well-preserved.

Because Dayuan Village is surrounded by streams, as many as six bridges have been built in the area. The Zhen’an Bridge is a stone arch bridge located at the entrance of Dayuan Village. It was first built during the Ming Dynasty and funded by local benefactor Dai Zhongming. In the third year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1738), Xiangyuan scholar Dai Tingjun reconstructed it. In the twelfth year of Qianlong (1747), his son Dai Yingxing and others added a pavilion over the bridge. After multiple renovations over time, the original arched structure has been largely preserved. In the 1970s, the original bridge was destroyed by a flood but was rebuilt and remains standing today. The covered bridge is about 26 meters long and approximately 3.5 meters wide.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee