Former Site of the Central Authorities Left Behind in the Revolutionary Base Area

Former Site of the Central Authorities Left Behind in the Revolutionary Base Area

The Former Site of the Central Authorities Left Behind in the Revolutionary Base Area is a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

The Cluster of Former Sites of the Central Authorities Left Behind in the Revolutionary Base Area (including the former sites of the Central General Supply Department, the Central State Bank, the Central Transport Company, the Red Army Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the Central Arsenal, the Political Department of the Central Military District, and the former site of the Political Security Bureau), was announced as part of the sixth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Jiangxi Province in March 2018.

The Cluster of Former Sites of the Central Authorities Left Behind in the Revolutionary Base Area is located in Zikeng Village, Bai’e Township, Huichang County. The sites are traditional local residential buildings, constructed with earth or brick-wood structures during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republican era, all within a 2-kilometer radius of each other. The entire cluster covers a built-up area of approximately 2,300 square meters. Slogans from the revolutionary base period can still be found on the premises. The cluster consists of the former sites of the General Supply Department, the Central State Bank, the Transport Company, the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the Arsenal, the Political Department, and the Political Security Bureau. On October 13, 1934, the Central Bureau and the Central Government Office were established in Ruijin, with Xiang Ying appointed as Secretary of the Central Bureau and Chen Yi as Director of the Central Government Office.

The main tasks of the Central Bureau, the Central Government Office, and the Central Military District (established in Kuantian, Yudu on October 22, 1934) were to lead the Party, government, and military work in the revolutionary base areas left behind, to cover the safe transfer of the main forces of the Red Army and central authorities, to persist in guerrilla warfare, and to strike against enemies invading the base areas. Bai’e Zihang Village, covering an area of about 5 square kilometers and adjacent to Huanglong in Yudu, is just over 20 li from Jingtang Village. With convenient land and water transportation, a solid foundation of revolutionary support among the local people (in October 1931, the Bai’e District Revolutionary Committee was established), and being surrounded by deep mountains and dense forests, the area offered relative concealment and safety—objectively providing favorable conditions for some of the central authorities to be stationed there. After the failure of the Fifth Encirclement Campaign, in October 1934, the main forces of the Central Soviet Area began their strategic relocation, embarking on the Long March. Historical records clearly show that after the transfer of the Chinese Soviet Central Government, in order to support the movement of the main forces and protect the military and civilians in the base areas, a large number of base area cadres and Red Army soldiers remained in southern Jiangxi, leading the revolutionary struggles of the people in the base areas.

To preserve strength, on December 4, 1934 (the 28th day of the 10th lunar month), under the leadership of Xiang Ying, then Vice Chairman of the Central Government, the Central Government of the Revolutionary Base Area relocated to a small mountain valley in Zikeng Village, maintaining its operations until February 18, 1935 (the 15th day of the 1st lunar month), while maintaining coordination with the Central Bureau and Military District in Jingtang Village, Huanglin Township, just across the mountain.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Jiangxi Province