Boxun Fort

Boxun Fort

Boxun Fort is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Boxun Fort was built by the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic in memory of the martyr Zhao Boxun. It was supervised by the Preparatory Committee of the Second National Soviet Congress, with Liang Botai in charge of engineering guidance and Qian Zhuangfei as the designer. Construction began on August 1, 1933, and was completed on January 31, 1934. The entire fort is made of blue bricks and is square-shaped, symbolizing that Zhao Boxun sacrificed his life during the Fourth Counter-Encirclement Campaign.

Zhao Boxun was born in 1897 in Huanghua County, Hebei Province. After graduating from the Baoding Military Academy in 1917, he served as a brigade commander of special forces in the Northwest Army and as Chief of Staff of the 26th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. In the spring of 1931, Chiang Kai-shek moved the 26th Route Army to the Soviet Area in an attempt to eliminate dissident forces and “encircle and suppress” the Red Army. During this period, with the help of the underground Communist Party organization, Zhao Boxun resolved to follow the Communist Party. He secretly joined the Party in October, and on December 14, he led over 17,000 troops of the 26th Route Army, along with Dong Zhentang and Ji Zhongtong, in the Ningdu Uprising, collectively joining the Red Army. The uprising forces were reorganized into the Fifth Corps of the First Front Army of the Red Army, with Zhao Boxun serving as Chief of Staff of the Corps and Commander of the 14th Army. In the subsequent revolutionary wars, Zhao Boxun remained loyal to the Party and the revolution, achieving remarkable military accomplishments. On January 8, 1933, Zhao Boxun led his troops in the Huangshidu blocking battle in Nancheng, Jiangxi. Under perilous conditions, he repeatedly repelled enemy attacks, playing a significant role in securing victory for our army. During the battle, Zhao Boxun personally directed the charge from the front lines but unfortunately was shot and killed at the age of 36.

In October 1934, after the main force of the Red Army embarked on the Long March, the fort was demolished by the reactionary Kuomintang. The stone tablet inscribed with “In Memory of Comrade Zhao Boxun,” which was inside the fort, was secretly salvaged and preserved by local residents and is now treasured in our museum. Boxun Fort was rebuilt in 1955 to its original appearance. Zhu De personally inscribed the three characters “Boxun Fort,” which are embedded at the top of the fort. The Political Work Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army also redrafted the memorial inscription for Martyr Zhao Boxun, which was erected inside the fort. Boxun Fort is now a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Zhao Boxun (1897–1933), originally named Zhao Enpu, was from Huanghua County, Hebei Province. He graduated from the Baoding Military Academy in 1917. From 1924 to 1931, he served in Feng Yuxiang’s forces and the 26th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1931. In December 1931, he led the Ningdu Uprising and later joined the Red Army, serving as Chief of Staff of the Fifth Red Army Corps and Commander of the 14th Army. He died a martyr in January 1933 at the age of 36.

In 2009, Zhao Boxun was honored as one of the 100 heroes and model figures who made outstanding contributions to the founding of New China... More details about Zhao Boxun++