Site of the Xizhucha Battle

Site of the Xizhucha Battle

The Site of the Xizhucha Battle is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

The Site of the Xizhucha Battle is located on the connected mountain ridges around Xizhucha in Sheping Village, Hongkeng Village, and Sujia Yang Village of Chuping Township, as well as at Houmen Mountain in Nanshan Village, Puyang, Huangbai Township, dating back to 1934.

Description: In the winter of 1934, after the Long March of the Central Red Army, the Kuomintang assembled hundreds of thousands of troops to “encircle and suppress” the Soviet Area in Eastern Fujian. On the eleventh day of the twelfth lunar month that year (i.e., January 15, 1935), over 2,000 officers and soldiers of the 1st Independent Division of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in Eastern Fujian, led by Ye Fei, ambushed more than 5,000 troops of the Nationalist New 10th Division here, with the support of guerrilla fighters and local residents. Leveraging the favorable terrain and their fearless spirit, the Red Army repelled dozens of enemy charges, inflicting over 500 casualties on the enemy while suffering approximately 200 casualties themselves. Afterward, the Red Army voluntarily withdrew from the battle. That night, the enemy forces stayed in Sheping Village below the battlefield, while the Red Army retreated to Danchi Village southeast of the battleground. On the eve of the Xizhucha Battle, a large number of Red Army troops were secretly stationed in the dense forests of Houmen Mountain in Nanshan Village, Puyang, Huangbai Township, not far to the south, for two to three days. This was the largest battle in the revolutionary history of Eastern Fujian, and important relics such as Red Army trenches and burial pits for fallen soldiers still remain in the intense combat area.

In 2018, the Site of the Xizhucha Battle was designated as part of the ninth batch of provincial-level cultural heritage sites by the People’s Government of Fujian Province.

Protected Area: The protected area of the battle site is centered around Houmen Mountain in Sheping Village and extends outward, covering an area of approximately 8 square kilometers. Including the affiliated site “Pre-Battle Secret Red Army Encampment at Nanshan Rear Mountain,” the total area is about 1.5 square kilometers, bringing the overall protected area to approximately 9.5 square kilometers.

Sheping Village: Sheping Village is located in the southern part of Chuping Township and consists of five natural villages: Sheping Danchi, Qiaotou, Xiyang, and Guandan’gang. The village has a population of 376 households, totaling 1,538 people, of which 593 are migrant laborers. The arable land area is 2,576 mu, including 1,846 mu of paddy fields and 730 mu of dry land, with a total forested area of 4,850 mu and bamboo forest of 460 mu. The main sources of income for residents include growing pseudostellaria heterophylla, tea, and atractylodes, as well as working outside the village. In recent three years, one new pig farming base has been developed, one tea rough processing factory has been established, 80 mu of oolong tea have been planted, and over 200 mu of old tea gardens have been renovated... Detailed information about Sheping Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites in Fujian Province