Ruijin Central Revolutionary Base History Museum

Ruijin Central Revolutionary Base History Museum

The Ruijin Central Revolutionary Base History Museum is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Ruijin is a sacred revolutionary site and the red capital. During the Second Revolutionary Civil War, the Chinese Communist Party led the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army to establish the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic here. To promote the magnificent history of the Chinese Soviet Republic and reflect the arduous and tortuous journey of the people's government, this magnificent Central Revolutionary Base History Museum was specially built. It is now a national first-class museum and a national 4A-level tourist attraction.

The location of the Chinese Soviet Republic History Museum is highly advantageous—not only is it easily accessible and set in a beautiful environment, but it is also the highest point within the Ruijin urban area, making it an ideal spot for a panoramic view. From here, the entire scenery of Ruijin unfolds before your eyes, and in the distance, you can clearly see four ancient towers that embody Ruijin’s historical and cultural heritage: Longzhu Tower, Longfeng Tower, Pengtu Tower, and Fengming Tower. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, veteran proletarian revolutionaries such as Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Deng Xiaoping established the Central Revolutionary Base in the southern Jiangxi and western Fujian regions with Ruijin at its center. Most of the first and second generations of China’s top leaders, nine of the ten founding marshals (excluding Xu Xiangqian)—namely Zhu De, Chen Yi, Peng Dehuai, Liu Bocheng, Ye Jianying, He Long, Nie Rongzhen, Luo Ronghuan, and Lin Biao—as well as seven of the eight founding generals (excluding Wang Shusheng, Xu Haidong, and Xu Guangda)—namely Su Yu, Chen Geng, Luo Ruiqing, Zhang Yunyi, Xiao Jingguang, Huang Kecheng, and Tan Zheng—along with 35 senior generals, 114 senior colonels, and 440 lieutenant colonels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army who were awarded ranks before 1966 (including 13 generals from Ruijin), all lived, worked, and fought here. Ruijin made tremendous contributions and sacrifices to the Chinese revolution. Of Ruijin’s then-population of 240,000, 110,000 joined the military and fought in battles, 50,000 sacrificed their lives for the revolution, including 10,800 who died during the Long March. There are 17,166 named martyrs from Ruijin. To support the construction of the Soviet Area and the strategic relocation of the Red Army to resist Japan in the north, between 1932 and 1934, the people of Ruijin subscribed to war bonds totaling 675,000 yuan and contributed 248,000 dan of grain. Among these, 415,000 yuan of bonds and all collected grain were donated selflessly to the Soviet Government. To commemorate this great history, in 2004, with the approval of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, the museum was expanded and renovated on the foundation of the Ruijin Central Revolutionary Base History Memorial Hall. Comrade Jiang Zemin personally inscribed the name of the new museum, which was completed in late 2007. Covering an area of 68 mu, with a building area of 10,100 square meters, it displays a large number of precious cultural relics and photographs, and employs advanced exhibition methods such as oil paintings, sculptures, scene reconstructions, multimedia, phantom imaging, and hyper-realistic simulation. These elements, along with 10,265 cultural relics, vividly showcase the continuity between the Chinese Soviet Republic and the People’s Republic of China.

[In front of the frontal relief]

The frontal design of the museum resembles a flag fluttering in the wind. The towering structure is the flagpole, also called the monument, standing 31.117 meters high—symbolizing the establishment of the Chinese Soviet Republic on November 7, 1931. The top of the monument features patterns of a sickle, axe, and five-pointed star, symbolizing that the Chinese Soviet Republic was a people's government under the leadership of workers and peasants. The massive 636-square-meter granite relief wall acts as the flag’s surface, featuring a central theme titled "The People's Republic Begins Here," composed of three main relief panels and several smaller ones. The central portrait relief, themed "The Demeanor of Great Leaders," depicts 24 exemplary figures who made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Chinese Soviet Republic, including Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Zhou Enlai. The right relief, themed "The Agrarian Revolution," illustrates the fervent and moving scenes of the Red Army overthrowing landlords, distributing land, and establishing the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic. The left panel, themed "Strategic Relocation," portrays the heartfelt and emotional farewells between the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and local residents as they embarked on the strategic shift to resist Japanese aggression in the north.

In the upper right corner of the relief wall is the emblem of the Chinese Soviet Republic and the establishment date “1931.11.7.” The upper left corner features the five-starred red flag of the People’s Republic of China, shaped like an open book, symbolizing the turning of a new page in history. A closer look at the entire relief reveals curved linear patterns resembling clouds or roads, accompanied by 19 red stars, symbolizing the 19 years from 1931 to 1949 during which the people’s government established by the Chinese Communist Party traversed a winding and difficult path from Ruijin to Beijing.

[The Lobby]

During the Agrarian Revolutionary War, Chinese Communists represented by Mao Zedong combined the universal principles of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of the Chinese revolution, pioneering the revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing political power through armed struggle.

On November 7, 1931, the First National Soviet Congress was grandly convened in Yeping Village, Ruijin, giving birth to the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic. It was a state created by the laboring people under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party—an entirely new form of people’s government fundamentally different from the old regimes controlled by exploiting classes. From then on, our Party began the great practice of governing the country and ensuring stability. This new state promulgated its first people’s constitution—the Outline of the Constitution of the Chinese Soviet Republic—and had its own national emblem, national flag, and military flag. It also carried out explorations and trials in governance, economic development, and cultural advancement. The road of the people’s government began here, extending to Yan’an, Xibaipo, and eventually to Beijing. Thus, it can be confidently said that the People’s Republic came from this red land of Ruijin.

This group sculpture, cast in bronze, weighs over 4 tons. It depicts 17 figures representing farmers, soldiers, women, and children. At the forefront are the founders of the Central Revolutionary Base, Mao Zedong and Zhu De. The entire sculpture showcases the joyous and dedicated spirit of the liberated workers, peasants, and soldiers in the Soviet Area, who, under the leadership of the Party and the Soviet Government, enthusiastically engaged in democratic governance, political participation, and supporting the frontline. Their heroic image is immortalized as they were ready to shed blood for the Soviet cause. The wall at the back features an inscription by Comrade Mao Zedong from the First Soviet Congress: “The Soviet is an organ through which the working and peasant masses manage their own lives, and it is the organizer and leader of the revolutionary war.” This statement clearly reflects the nature of the Soviet government as a democratic state of workers and peasants.

[Exhibition Hall (Introduction)]

After its establishment, the Chinese Soviet Republic successively governed 13 revolutionary bases, 4 special districts, 18 provinces, and 4 directly administered counties nationwide. Under the leadership of the Party and the Soviet Government, the military and civilians effectively carried out armed struggle, implemented agrarian revolution, and developed the government, economy, and culture. This enabled the Party to master the arts of party governance, military governance, political governance, and national administration, nurturing a large number of elite administrators and laying the foundation for the establishment of New China.

"The Republic Comes From Here – The Historical Exhibition of the Chinese Soviet Republic" is divided into six major sections, displayed over two floors, covering an exhibition area of 4,600 square meters with a total display line of 840 meters, recreating the grand history of the Chinese Soviet Republic.

Address: Xianghu Town, Ruijin City, Jiangxi Province

Opening hours: 8:30–17:30 (Closed on Mondays)

Xianghu Town: Located in the central part of Ruijin City, Xianghu Town is the seat of the Ruijin Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, it got its name from the elephant-shaped terrain and numerous ponds resembling lakes. The town covers a total area of 34.5 square kilometers (with an urban area of 18 square kilometers), encompassing 8 administrative villages, 11 communities, 247 groups, and a total population of 235,000, including 39,000 agricultural residents. The Town Party Committee oversees 1 general branch and 28 party branches, with 2,253 party members. The main industries include logistics and warehousing, tourism services, construction labor, construction machinery, garment processing, and vegetable farming.

… More detailed information about Xianghu Town ++

Further reading:

· China’s National First-Class Museum