He Wu

He Wu

The Former Site of the Government of the Gan’nan Provincial Soviet and the Former Residence of Comrade Mao Zedong on the Eve of the Long March is located at He Wu in the north gate area of Yudu County.

This building was originally a private residence of the He family. It is relatively spacious, with small courtyards in the front and back, comprising over 30 rooms covering an area of 636 square meters. In July 1934, in response to the needs of the revolutionary situation, the 0 Provincial Committee and the Soviet Government were established in Yudu County, with the provincial Soviet organs stationed here. When the Gan’nan Province was established, it governed four counties — Yudu, Dengxian, Yangyin, and Ganzhou — as well as two remote guerrilla zones: Xin Kang and Nanxiong. The Chairman of the Gan’nan Provincial Soviet was Zhong Shibin, and the Vice Chairman was Wang Fushan. The Gan’nan Provincial Soviet Government included various departments such as the Internal Affairs Department, Finance Department, National Economic Department, Land Department, Food Department, Labor Department, Education Department, Workers and Peasants Inspection Department, Judiciary Department, and Political Security Bureau. The Gan’nan Province was one of the five important provinces set up in the Central Soviet Area. From its establishment, it followed the instructions of the 0 Central Committee, leading the people of the province to actively join the military and participate in the battles, supporting the revolutionary war, and extensively carrying out guerrilla warfare to contain and strike the enemy. When the Central Red Army gathered in Yudu, the Gan’nan Provincial Soviet Government carried out large-scale grain and fund raising efforts, expanded the Red Army, and conscripted laborers, providing full human and material support for the Red Army to build pontoon bridges, thereby ensuring the successful departure of the Red Army on the Long March from all aspects.

Comrade Mao Zedong resided here on the eve of the Long March. In early September 1934, Mao Zedong came to Yudu from Yunshi Mountain in Ruijin and stayed in the east wing room of this house. Although not in the best health during this visit to Yudu, Mao Zedong still carried out his work in a tense yet orderly manner. He often went deep among the masses to conduct investigations and research, inspecting and guiding the work of the Gan’nan Provincial Soviet Government. At He Wu, he personally presided over symposiums with poor workers and peasants as well as with cadres from districts, townships, and villages. He spoke heart-to-heart with the representatives present, learning about their living and production conditions, educating the cadres of the Soviet Area to care about the lives of the masses, pay attention to working methods, diligently study Marxism-Leninism, voluntarily admit their own shortcomings and mistakes to the masses, and regularly carry out criticism and self-criticism. Mao Zedong also attended the meeting of cadres from the Judiciary Department of the Gan’nan Provincial Soviet Government held at Zheng Wu in the north gate area of the county town, met with and consoled all the representatives of the Yudu County Red Army Families Representative Conference at the Wang Family Ancestral Hall in the county town, and participated in the Gan’nan Provincial Three-Level Cadres Conference held at Xie Family Ancestral Hall in the county town. During his investigation, Mao Zedong learned that there were “Left” deviation errors in the suppression of counter-revolutionaries in Dengxian County. He immediately wrote a letter and had his guard deliver it overnight, which led to the timely correction of the “Left” deviation errors in the suppression work in Dengxian County. While in Yudu, Mao Zedong also accepted the commission of the then Vice Chairman of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission —— to go deep into areas such as Luojiang and Xiaoxi to investigate enemy situations. On September 20, he issued the “Mao Zedong’s Telegram on Enemy Activities in Xinfeng, Yudu, and Other Areas to ——” here, providing an important decision-making basis for the deployment of the strategic transfer of the Red Army. On October 18, Mao Zedong left He Wu, crossed the Yudu River with the Central Column, and embarked on the long journey of the Long March.