Bamianshan Watchtower Ruins

Bamianshan Watchtower Ruins

The Bamianshan Watchtower Ruins are a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Jiangxi Province.

Bamianshan is located to the northwest of Jinggangshan, with an elevation of over 1,400 meters. It is one of the five major watchtowers of the Jinggangshan military base area. Standing atop Bamianshan, you can clearly see the surrounding towering mountains in all directions — hence the name "Bamianshan" (Eight-Faced Mountain).

In the summer of 1928, the soldiers and civilians of Jinggangshan built three fortifications, established three lines of defense, and erected a simple watch shelter on Bamianshan. This watchtower was guarded day and night by the Red Army. The Gongnongbing Government of Dajing Township also frequently sent insurgents to assist the Red Army with sentry duty, defending against incursions from enemy forces in Hunan. A folk song from that time goes: “The mountain stream winds long and far, Bamianshan shines with valor. The Red Army watchtower stands midway on the hill, like a great natural wall. Bamianshan, oh mountain upon mountain, the watchtower sits mountain upon mountain. When the reactionary White Dogs come to attack, they’ll come with life but won’t leave with it.”

In January 1929, the Hunan-Jiangxi enemy forces launched the third “encirclement and suppression” campaign against Jinggangshan. At that time, the unit defending the watchtower was the 10th Battalion of the Red Fifth Army, along with over 30 insurgents who joined the battle. The fighting lasted several days, with the defenders repeatedly repelling enemy attacks and killing or wounding hundreds of the enemy. In the end, under fierce artillery bombardment, all the fortifications were destroyed. Comrade Peng Baocai, commander of the 10th Battalion of the Red Fifth Army, and most of the Red Army soldiers died heroically, their blood staining the white snow.

It was a battle of epic grandeur. This fight pinned down a significant portion of the enemy’s forces and played a crucial role in the third counter-“encirclement and suppression” campaign.

In September 1988, the People’s Government of Jinggangshan City designated the Bamianshan Watchtower as a municipal-level cultural heritage protection site.

Source: China · Jinggangshan Revolutionary Museum