Zhu De's Former Residence in Dongtou

Zhu De's Former Residence in Dongtou

Zhu De's Former Residence in Dongtou is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Zhu De's Former Residence in Dongtou is located in Dongtou She Ethnic Village, Dongtou Township. The building was originally constructed in the late Ming Dynasty as the ancestral hall of the local She ethnic group’s Lan clan. With a history of over 500 years, it is the earliest structure built by the She Lan clan in Dongtou. The ancestral hall faces north and covers an area of approximately 400 square meters. It served as a place where members of the Lan clan conducted various communal rituals and practiced their beliefs, featuring unique ethnic architectural styles and rich Hakka cultural elements. Additionally, the building has profound connections to China's revolutionary history. According to oral accounts from local elders such as Lan Changqi (a veteran of the Soviet Area, deceased), Lan Jinchang (85 years old, former head of Dongtou Township), and Lan Ruiliang (79 years old), the revolutionary leader Comrade Zhu De once stayed at the Lan clan ancestral hall and composed a poem (which has not been collected to date). Moreover, the Red Army of the Soviet Area also used the ancestral hall multiple times for rest and recruitment.

In January 1929, Mao Zedong and Zhu De led the Fourth Red Army in advancing from Jinggangshan to southern Jiangxi. On February 6, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, Chen Yi, and others led the main forces of the Fourth Red Army from Dongliu Township, Wuping County, Fujian Province, into Dongtou Township, Huichang County, Jiangxi Province. Passing through the Huwu Mountain Road in Xiadongkeng Village (where the ancient Huwu Bridge, walked by Zhu De, is still preserved today), they arrived at Dongtou She Ethnic Village. It is said that Zhu De stayed overnight at the Lan clan ancestral hall in Dongtou She Ethnic Village—this marked the first time the main forces of the Fourth Red Army entered Huichang County. Legend has it that as Commander Zhu De passed through Dongtou Township, he was moved by the rolling mountains and the vast, undulating landscape, and couldn’t help but recite a verse: “The beauty of the rivers and mountains remains, while the soldiers’ hearts soar ever higher.”

On June 13, 1932, Mao Zedong led the Fourth Red Army in a return march from Wuping, Fujian, back to southern Jiangxi. On June 18, they entered Guanfeng and Dongtou villages in Dongtou Township, Huichang, rested briefly at the Lan clan ancestral hall, then proceeded through Yonglong, before the troops regrouped at Zhoutian Hedun in Huichang for training.

In late April 1934, the 22nd Red Army Corps suffered a major setback in the Battle of Yunmenling. The corps headquarters retreated to the Liguanshan area of Zhantang, with one part moving into Dongtou She Ethnic Village in Dongtou Township to engage in guerrilla warfare. They propagated the revolutionary cause within the Lan clan ancestral hall, used it for rest and recuperation, and also for recruiting new soldiers.