Site of the Battle of Huichang During the Nanchang Uprising

Site of the Battle of Huichang During the Nanchang Uprising

The Site of the Battle of Huichang During the Nanchang Uprising is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism destination.

On August 1, 1927, Zhou Enlai, Ye Ting, Zhu De, He Long, and others led the insurgent troops in firing the first shots of armed resistance against the reactionary Kuomintang in Nanchang, establishing the People's Army. The success of the Nanchang Uprising shocked both domestic and international audiences, prompting Chiang Kai-shek and Wang Jingwei to quickly mobilize troops for a counterattack. Following instructions from the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the insurgent forces marched southward toward eastern Guangdong. On August 26, they captured Ruijin County. From captured enemy documents, they learned that Chiang Kai-shek’s elite troops under Qian Dajun—comprising four divisions and over 10,000 soldiers—had constructed fortifications along the Huichang Mountain front. At the same time, forces under Huang Shaoxiong of the Guangxi Clique were also advancing from Xinfeng toward Huichang, attempting to annihilate the insurgent army there. To eliminate potential threats to their southern advance, the Front Committee decided to strike the Huichang enemy before the two hostile forces could join up.

On the morning of August 30, the 24th Division, 3rd Division, and the Training Regiment of the insurgent army launched feint attacks on the enemy from the northeast and northwest of the city. Due to the 25th Division getting lost during a night march, they were unable to join the battle. The fighting in the morning was extremely intense. Battalion Commander Chen Geng captured three hilltops in succession but was hit twice in the left leg. Division Party Representative Xu Teli, nearly 50 years old, also joined the battle. Zhu De picked up a rifle from a fallen soldier and fired at the enemy. Enemy artillery shells frequently landed near the command post, yet Zhou Enlai, Liu Bocheng, Ye Ting, and Nie Rongzhen remained calmly commanding from the front lines. By noon, the 25th Division arrived. Without even having time to eat lunch, they immediately joined the fight. The participating units of the insurgent army coordinated closely, launching repeated assaults on enemy positions. By 4:00 p.m., the insurgents finally captured Huichang Mountain and pressed on to take the county seat. Qian Dajun abandoned his sedan chair and fled south in panic. This battle resulted in over 5,000 enemy casualties, with more than 900 captured, along with a large amount of weaponry, ammunition, and supplies seized. The insurgent forces suffered over a thousand casualties.

Today, remnants of the wartime trenches and air-raid shelters can still be found on Huichang Mountain.