Shicheng Blocking Battle Memorial Park

Shicheng Blocking Battle Memorial Park

Shicheng Blocking Battle Memorial Park is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

Lilaishi, originally named "Ying'en Stone," was an ancient site for receiving imperial edicts from the court. In ancient times, a county magistrate surnamed Li often hunted in this area and later renamed the mountain "Li Lie Stone." Due to the similarity in pronunciation between "lie" (hunt) and "la" (frost) in the local Shicheng dialect, it came to be known as "Lilaishi."

Lilaishi Mountain has an elevation of 398.9 meters. When viewed from the northern end, it appears as a single massive boulder, with steep cliffs surrounding the mountain. The southern part of the mountain connects to rolling hills and links to the Xihua Mountain Scenic Area. The vegetation on the mountain is lush, and the air is fresh. At the foot and summit of Lilaishi Mountain, there are temples—Zhonghua An at the base and Zhonghua Temple at the top—which are both popular sites of worship. Along the southern side of the mountain, there is also a walking trail leading to the summit, carved into the mountainside. Though now overgrown and in disrepair, traces of the path remain.

Lilaishi was the main battleground of the last defensive line during the Shicheng Blocking Battle. To this day, several hundred meters of old trench remains can still be found at the mountain’s summit. Due to the misguided "leftist" adventurism of Wang Ming, the Fifth Encirclement Campaign began under a disadvantageous position. On August 30, 1934, Yiqian—a strategic location situated between Guangchang and Shicheng and adjacent to Xiaosong in Shicheng—was occupied by enemy forces. The Central Revolutionary Base and the Central Red Army were thus placed in a highly perilous situation. To delay the northward advance of the enemy's Northern Route Army toward the heart of the Central Revolutionary Base—Ruijin—and to buy time for the safe assembly and relocation of central authorities and the main forces of the Red Army, the Central Military Commission ordered the Third Red Army Corps to set up defenses in northern Shicheng to block the enemy. At the time, the commander of the Third Red Army Corps was Peng Dehuai, and the political commissar was [name omitted].

On the early morning of September 26, 1934, the Shicheng Blocking Battle officially commenced and lasted until October 7, spanning twelve days. This battle was the final large-scale engagement on the northern front of the Central Soviet Area, fought just before the Long March of the First Front Red Army. During this period, not only were significant casualties inflicted upon the enemy, but more importantly, the advance of the southern-invading forces was considerably delayed. The Red Army managed to hold off the enemy’s attack on Shicheng for seven days longer than originally planned by the Central Military Revolutionary Committee, buying precious time for the safe assembly and transfer of central authorities and the main forces of the Red Army. Without the Shicheng Blocking Battle, the enemy’s Northern Route Army could have advanced directly into the location of the central authorities, with unimaginable consequences.

To commemorate revolutionary martyrs, honor the Blocking Battle, uphold revolutionary traditions, and promote the spirit of the Soviet Area, the Shicheng County Committee and County People’s Government funded the establishment of the Shicheng Blocking Battle Memorial Park. Covering a total area of 28.6 hectares, with 50 mu (33,340 m²) of construction land, the park consists of the Mountain Gate Square, Red Memory Square, Victory Square, Stone Carving Square, Shicheng Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Hall, Shicheng Blocking Battle Memorial Hall, Monument, Observation Platform, Thematic Sculpture, Red Army Story Garden, and the site of the Red Army Trenches, among other sections.

Scenic Spot Location

National Highway 206, Shicheng County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province