Former Site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township

Former Site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township

The former site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township is a cultural heritage site under the protection of Hanjiang District and a classic red tourism attraction.

The former site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township is located in Tanghou Group, Waikeng Village, Xin County Town, Hanjiang District, Putian City.

In February 1930, the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed the struggle task of "establishing a red area in Quanzhou and Putian," placing high hopes on the revolutionary struggle in the Putian region. In June, the Fujian Provincial Committee sent military cadre Huang Wan to Putian to carry out work and establish a Red Army unit. In October of the same year, the Fujian Provincial Committee dispatched Deng Zihui to Putian, where he set up the Putian Special Committee of the CPC in Aobing to lead the land revolution and establish a red political power. However, because Aobing Township was located at a major transportation hub and had a strong local reactionary forces presence, the struggle suffered repeated setbacks. The Putian Special Committee of the CPC decided to relocate the land revolution pilot program and the Red Army base from Aobing Township to Waikeng Township.

At the time of the establishment of the Putian Special Committee of the CPC, the Hui’an Uprising had just failed, and the Quanzhou Special Committee of the CPC had been destroyed by the enemy. The Provincial Committee decided to send a group of military cadres originally intended for Hui’an—including Zhang Wei, commander of the Minxi Red Army Regiment, and his chief of staff, Tang Jun—to Putian to train Red Army military commanders. Hui’an County was also placed under the leadership of the Putian Special Committee of the CPC. For this reason, Deng Zihui decided to reorganize the 207th Regiment of the Red Army into the 2nd Detachment of the Fujian Red Army Guerrilla Unit, while also establishing a Red Army Training Unit. The 2nd Detachment was led by Commander Zhang Wei and Political Commissar Wang Yujie, with Training Unit Commander Tang Jun and Political Director Chen Tianzhang. After the establishment of the 2nd Detachment, they mobilized peasants in various natural villages of Waikeng to fight landlords and local tyrants, held mass meetings, called for the organization of poor peasant associations, and implemented the program of the land revolution. They announced the abolition of land rents and debts, ordering all landlords and wealthy households to surrender their land deeds and debt documents within three days for public burning. Land and movable property belonging to landlords were confiscated and redistributed to poor and hired peasants. Militias were organized at the village level, all weapons were collected, and funds were raised from affluent households. After more than half a month of struggle and mobilization, the Special Committee deemed the conditions ripe for establishing a red political power in Waikeng Township. On December 9, a meeting of peasant representatives from various villages was held at Xuande Palace in Waikeng Township, where the establishment of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township was proclaimed. Through democratic elections, Ma Bei was elected as the Chairman of the Township Soviet Government, Cai Yang and Cai Bo as the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Township Militia, and Cai Jinqing as the Chairman of the Township Peasant Association, among others.

After the establishment of the red political power in Waikeng Township, the 2nd Detachment of the Red Army, responding to the demands of the masses, launched offensives against landlords and local tyrants and carried out the land revolution. Within just over half a month, the activities of the Red Army expanded to the border areas of Xin County, Qiulu, and Fuqing, and the Red Army force grew to over 160 members, forming a red area spanning more than ten li.

By the end of December, over 800 troops consisting of Nationalist garrison forces, marines, and landlord militias launched a three-pronged “encirclement and suppression” campaign against the Waikeng Township Soviet Area. Faced with a formidable enemy, the Red Army fighters fought back bravely and resisted valiantly, but ultimately, due to being outnumbered, the unit was scattered. Thirty-seven Red Army fighters were killed, and Chen Tianzhang and Tang Jun were successively captured and executed. The township Soviet political power suffered significant losses.

The former site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township is Xuande Palace, a single-story earthen and wooden structure temple covering an area of 300 square meters.

In October 1981, the former site of the Soviet Government of Waikeng Township was designated as a cultural heritage site under the protection of Putian County by the Putian County People’s Government. In June 2010, it was designated as a Putian Municipal Party History Education Base by the Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee of the CPC. In November 2012, it was designated as a third batch provincial-level cultural heritage site and Party History Education Base by the Party History Research Office of the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CPC.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Putian Municipal Committee

Waikeng Village: Overview of Waikeng Village

Administrative Affiliation and Transportation: Waikeng Village is located in the remote mountainous area of northern Hanjiang District, approximately 20.29 kilometers from the town government seat. It borders Dongzhang Town of Fuqing to the east, Baiyun Village to the west, Jiangkou Town to the south, and Siyang Village to the north. The village consists of eight natural villages, twelve villager groups, 287 households, and 1,208 residents, including 25 Party members. The total land area is 3.3 square kilometers, including 12,500 mu of mountainous land, 1,560 mu of arable land, and 340 mu of orchard land.

Village Culture and Appearance: Waikeng Village is a base area of the revolutionary old district... Detailed information about Waikeng Village++