Former Site of the Headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army

Former Site of the Headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army

The former site of the Headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army is a cultural relics protection unit of Taining County and a classic red tourism destination.

The Guanyin Pavilion, the former site of the Headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army, is located within the Luohan Temple on Jinfu Street in Shuinan Village, Shan Town, Taining County.

On August 18, 1933, while advancing northward from Liancheng to Taining and preparing to execute the second phase of their campaign, the Red Army’s Eastern Army had its headquarters stationed at the Luohan Temple on Jinfu Street in Taining’s urban area. At the same time, the headquarters (or main command) of the First Front Red Army, led by Commander-in-Chief Zhu De and Political Commissar Zhou Enlai, moved eastward from Jiangxi, arriving in Taining via Jianning. To strengthen forces on the eastern front, the First Front Red Army headquarters redeployed the 6th Division stationed in Lichuan and the 61st Regiment of the 21st Division stationed in Taining to join the Red Army’s Eastern Army. On August 23, the 61st Regiment left Taining and, together with the 6th Division under the command of Xiao Jingguang, commander of the Min-Gan Military District, captured Wan’an in Jiangle and subsequently laid siege to Jiangle County. Meanwhile, the main force of the Red Army’s Eastern Army seized Yangkou, Xiayang, and Sha County, surrounded Shunchang and Yanping, and achieved continuous victories. In this first campaign in Fujian, the Red Army’s Eastern Army annihilated eight regiments of the Nationalist Army, captured over 7,800 enemy soldiers, seized more than 7,500 rifles, along with large amounts of supplies, and raised one million yuan in funds within the Soviet Area. This connected Taining with the Northern Fujian Soviet Area into a consolidated stronghold. From then on, Taining transformed from a frontline zone of contention between enemy and friendly forces on the eastern front of the Soviet Area into a strategic rear base. At that time, large quantities of supplies captured by the victorious Red Army’s Eastern Army were concentrated in Taining, making it the supply center and a key hub for economic development of the Min-Gan Provincial Soviet and Jianning Defense District.

The Luohan Temple, where the former headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army was located, was built during the Five Dynasties period and has a history of over 1,000 years. Through successive expansions, it now covers an area of 1,590 square meters. The Guanyin Pavilion faces south with its back to the north, features a flush-gable roof, and is constructed with post-and-lintel wooden framing. It has a single-courtyard layout, with a total width of 16.3 meters and a depth of 18.15 meters, offering a floor area of 296 square meters.

In October 2000, the Guanyin Pavilion—the former site of the Headquarters of the Red Army’s Eastern Army—was designated as a cultural relics protection unit of Taining County by the People’s Government of Taining County.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee

Shuinan Village: Located southwest of Taining’s urban area, Shuinan Village in Taining County lies along the scenic shores of the world-renowned Dajin Lake UNESCO Global Geopark. It borders Shengyi Natural Village to the east, Lvjiafang to the west, and neighbors Minzhu Village to the north. The village currently has a population of 598 people across 179 households, with 250 acres of arable land and 498 acres of forested land. It consists of one natural village and four villager groups. Situated by the national-level Dajin Lake, the village is an excellent location for tourism and leisure investment and development. Shuinan Village still retains one ancient temple—Luohan Temple—which was initially built during the Ming Dynasty, featuring a grand and majestic scale. Luohan Temple was the site where revolutionary leaders such as Commander Zhu once... More details about Shuinan Village++