Battle Site of Quanshang Earth Fort

Battle Site of Quanshang Earth Fort

The Battle Site of Quanshang Earth Fort is located at the Li Family Fortress in Tubao Natural Village, Luoli Village, Quanshang Town, Ninghua County.

On July 1, 1933, the Red Army’s Eastern Army, made up of the Third Red Army Corps (temporarily without its Sixth Division) and the Nineteenth Red Army Corps, advanced toward Ninghua from areas such as Le’an and Guangchang in Jiangxi via two routes. By July 5, they had completed their strategic assembly in the western part of Ninghua. That evening, the Eastern Army issued combat orders, using the Fifth Red Army Division as the vanguard and the Fourth Red Army Division as the rear echelon, rapidly advancing toward Quanshang to tactically encircle the enemy stationed in the Quanshang Earth Fort.

The Quanshang Earth Fort is situated in Luoli, Quanshang, at the strategic junction of Ninghua, Qingliu, and Gui counties. It served as a vital passageway from southeastern Jiangxi through Ninghua to central Fujian, as well as from western Fujian to northern Fujian, making it of great strategic importance. At the time, over 120 households of the Li family lived inside the fort, along with more than 1,200 troops from the 307th Regiment of the Nationalist Army’s 52nd Division and local militias from Ninghua and other counties. The presence not only threatened the security of nearby revolutionary bases but also posed a significant obstacle to the Eastern Army’s eastward advance.

Based on the situation between enemy and friendly forces, the Red Army’s Eastern Army decided to adopt the strategy of “besieging the stronghold to attack reinforcements,” aiming first to eliminate both the defenders of the Quanshang Earth Fort and the relieving Nationalist troops, thereby achieving the complete defeat of General Lu Xingbang’s 52nd Division. In terms of troop deployment, the Fifth Red Army Division was assigned to lead the main assault on the fort, while the Fourth Red Army Division and the Independent Seventh Division were tasked with intercepting reinforcements. On July 7, the 15th Regiment of the Fifth Red Army Division initiated attacks on Hongdonggang and Tianzishan, quickly capturing these two Nationalist-held positions and laying a full siege to the Quanshang Earth Fort.

After being surrounded, the defenders of the fort made several unsuccessful attempts to break out. They then prepared to hold out in isolation, urgently requesting reinforcements from their divisional headquarters while reinforcing their defenses in hopes of waiting for relief and counterattacking to reverse their fortunes. Lu Xingbang, commander of the Nationalist 52nd Division stationed in Yong’an, immediately dispatched Brigadier Zhang Xinglong of the 156th Brigade to personally lead the 309th Regiment in reinforcing the 307th Regiment. The Fourth Red Army Division and the Independent Seventh Division of the Eastern Army were ordered to ambush and block the reinforcing Nationalist forces at Yanxiang. On July 9, 1933, the Battle of Yanxiang commenced. After one hour of fierce fighting, over 400 troops of the 309th Regiment were completely annihilated, including more than 100 killed (among them Brigadier Zhang Xinglong) and over 300 captured (including Regiment Commander Lu Shengbin), along with the seizure of over 400 rifles and four light machine guns. The victories in both the assault and the blocking battle left the defenders of the Quanshang Earth Fort completely isolated and without support, creating favorable conditions for its capture.

The Quanshang Earth Fort had solid fortifications that were easy to defend but difficult to attack. After multiple unsuccessful direct assaults, the main assault force, the 15th Regiment of the Fifth Red Army Division, adopted a tactic involving tunnel digging and explosive breaching. After over ten days of underground excavation, a tunnel approximately 4.5 feet wide, 6 feet high, and dozens of yards long was dug to reach beneath the fort’s walls, where two coffins filled with gunpowder were placed. At dawn on the 19th, with a loud explosion, a breach was blown in the fort wall. The 15th Regiment sounded the charge and rushed in from all directions. After a bout of close combat, the defending 307th Regiment and over 1,200 local militia troops from Ninghua, Qingliu, Guihua, Changting, and Shicheng counties were completely annihilated. Among the casualties were over 300 killed (including Regiment Commander Cheng Sihai) and over 900 captured (including the former and current county magistrates of Ninghua). The battle yielded over 700 rifles, three light machine guns, 60 pistols, two mortars, and over ten thousand silver dollars. This battle marked the first major victory of the Red Army’s Eastern Army during its eastward campaign in Fujian, liberating the northeastern part of Ninghua, redrawing the entire county, and connecting the revolutionary bases of western and northern Fujian.

The original Battle Site of the Quanshang Earth Fort was the Li Family Fortress—a square-shaped earth fort (collectively referred to as the Quanshang Earth Fort)—covering an area of 16,900 square meters. It was a historic Hakka structure built by the renowned Qing Dynasty local historian Li Shimao. The fort had a square layout with rammed-earth walls. After the battle, parts of the fortress walls were demolished, and some structures were rebuilt with brick-concrete structures. Today, over 120 descendants of the Li family still reside within the site. Remnants of the fort walls can be seen at the four corners, and traces of the inner streets and ancient wells remain visible.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Sanming Municipal Committee

Luoli Village: Luoli Village is located in the northern part of Quanshang Town, covering an area of 16.8 square kilometers. It is 1.5 kilometers from the town center and comprises seven natural villages, nine villager groups, 348 households, and 1,308 residents. There are four party subgroups with 35 party members. The village has 2,168 mu of arable land and 15,949 mu of forested land. Major agricultural products include rice, flue-cured tobacco, sweet potatoes, taro, bamboo, fruit trees, and pork. Villagers mainly engage in farming, animal husbandry, and working or doing business outside the village. The village has weak foundations, limited collective income, and relatively underdeveloped economy and infrastructure. It is historically known as the site of the famous Quanshang Earth Fort battle... More details about Luoli Village++