Former Assembly Site of the First Regiment of the Red Army during the Hui’an Uprising

Former Assembly Site of the First Regiment of the Red Army during the Hui’an Uprising

The former assembly site of the First Regiment of the Red Army during the Hui’an Uprising is a classic red tourism destination.

The former assembly site of the First Regiment of the Red Army during the Hui’an Uprising is located at Hengdetang in Tunling Village, Tunling Town, Quangang District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province.

Hengdetang is a small temple. On the night of September 14, 1930, over 500 soldiers of the First Regiment of the First Independent Division of the Fujian Red Army, who were preparing to participate in the Hui’an Armed Uprising led by the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Quanzhou Special Committee, and the Hui’an County Committee, gathered here.

The northern region of Hui’an County (now mostly under the administrative jurisdiction of Quangang District) had a solid foundation for revolutionary struggle. In April 1927, the Interim Committee of the Hui’an County CCP withdrew from the county town to the rural areas of Tunling, mobilizing the masses to persist in armed struggle. The membership of the Peasant Association grew to over 1,200, and the Peasant Self-Defense Force swelled to more than 500 members. In November, the Peasant Self-Defense Force was renamed the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army. The Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army repeatedly repelled encirclement and suppression attacks by the “Land Tax Bureau” conscription troops of the Kuomintang in Quanzhou and the Kuomintang Marine Corps. In June 1929, Comrade Chen Pingshan, who had joined the Chinese Communist Party at the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou and participated in the Guangzhou Uprising, held a meeting of key members at Dapu Temple in Tunling to strengthen the political and military training of the revolutionary forces. In December, Chen Pingshan took over as Secretary of the Hui’an County CCP Committee and led the “Five Resistances” struggle, leading to the growth and strengthening of the Party organization and revolutionary forces.

From June to August 1930, the Fujian Provincial Committee of the CCP, the Quanzhou Special Committee, and the Hui’an County Committee prepared to launch the Hui’an Armed Uprising, accelerating all necessary preparations. They established the First Independent Division of the Fujian Red Army and reorganized the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army in Tunling as the First Regiment. The regiment’s commander and political commissar were both Chen Pingshan, who was also the Secretary of the Military Commission of the Quanzhou Special Committee and the overall commander of the Hui’an Uprising Headquarters. Wu Guozhen served as the secretary, and the regiment had three battalions, commanded by Chen Mu, Lin Baoxing, and Wang Shunshui, respectively. The plan was to launch the uprising in mid-September simultaneously in Northern and Eastern Hui’an. The First Regiment of the Red Army in Northern Hui’an would attack the stronghold of the local tyrants at Huifeng Station in Tunling, while the Second Regiment in Eastern Hui’an would assault the Kuomintang militia in Eastern Hui’an. They would then join forces to attack the county town, advance into the Sanping Mountain area, and establish a revolutionary base.

On the night of September 14, 1930, over 500 soldiers of the First Regiment who were to participate in the uprising gathered at Hengdetang. After Chen Pingshan gave the battle deployment and motivational speech, he led the First Regiment into their respective combat positions. At dawn on the 15th, the uprising began with the First Regiment launching an attack on Huifeng Station in Tunling. However, due to the enemy being on guard, the attack stalled after prolonged efforts. The main force withdrew and went into hiding around Sizhou, Hongcuokeng, and Ganzhuyuan, while the remaining personnel dispersed back to their original locations. The intimidated local tyrants and landlords fled in panic. In the early hours of the 16th, over 200 soldiers of the Second Regiment in Eastern Hui’an launched their uprising. However, faced with the ferocious counterattack of a numerically superior enemy, the uprising failed.

After the failure of the uprising, in mid-October, Chen Pingshan and Wu Dunren, a member of the Hui’an County CCP Committee, along with other comrades, were instructed by the Provincial Committee to stay in Tunling to establish the Sanping Guerrilla Zone. They persisted in the “Five Resistances” and armed struggle, quickly forming a guerrilla zone extending from the areas around Tunling to the Sanping Mountains. The Kuomintang reactionaries attempted to extinguish the revolutionary flame and offered high rewards for the capture and killing of revolutionary leaders. On the night of December 26, the enemy bribed bandits to lie in wait under the window of Wu Dunren’s residence and assassinated him in a surprise shooting. On January 7, 1931, Chen Pingshan, while preparing to welcome the arrival of the Putian Special Committee and the Red Army Training Detachment in the Sanping Mountain area, was ambushed by henchmen of the bandit Yan Xuan at Kunaolongwan in Zhaohou Village. He was fatally wounded by multiple bullets and died a heroic death.

Source: Quangang District Committee Party History Research Office

Tunling Town: Tunling Town is located in the southwest of Quangang District, bordering Hui’an, Luojiang, and Xianyou counties/districts. The town covers a total area of 157 square kilometers, accounting for half of the land area of Quangang District. It governs 21 administrative villages and 1 community, with a population of over 50,000. The Town Party Committee oversees 39 Party branches, including 2 rural Party general branches, 19 Party branches, 1 community Party branch, and 17 directly affiliated units, with a total of 1,524 Party members. Tunling Town is known for its simple folkways, well-maintained public order, and social stability. Tunling natives are spread across the country in business, industry, and government, including many with substantial influence... More detailed information about Tunling Town++