Xiangshan Nunnery in Jinggangshan

Xiangshan Nunnery in Jinggangshan

Xiangshan Nunnery is not only an ancient Qing Dynasty structure and a renowned nunnery on the Hunan-Jiangxi border, but also an important site of revolutionary activity during the Jinggangshan revolutionary struggle. It was here that Comrades Mao Zedong and He Zizhen held their wedding, and the Xiangshan Nunnery Meeting—marking the founding of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base—was convened.

Xiangshan Nunnery is located in Jinggangshan City, Ji’an, Jiangxi Province, and is named after the mountain behind the nunnery, known as Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain). The nunnery was first built in the Guisi year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1713), facing southwest and situated to the northeast. Initially, it housed three main halls: the “Great Buddha Hall,” the “Bodhidharma Ancestral Hall,” and the “Thousand Meals Hall.” Legend has it that the nunnery once had 99 large pillars, and at its peak, as many as 99 nuns practiced here.

During the Jinggangshan revolutionary struggle, this was an important site of Red Army activity. Facilities such as the Rear Guard Office of the Fourth Red Army, the Artillery Company of the Fourth Red Army, and the printing house of the Special Committee of the Hunan-Jiangxi Border Area were all stationed here. The joint meeting of party organizations from Yongxin, Ninggang, and Lianhua counties, as well as the first party and league training class in the Hunan-Jiangxi border area, were also held here. Notably, the wedding of Comrades Mao Zedong and He Zizhen took place in this modest nunnery.

In early November 1927, in order to quickly restore the party organizations in the border counties that had been severely damaged by the enemy following the failure of the Great Revolution—thereby facilitating the establishment of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base—Comrade Mao Zedong presided over a joint meeting of the former party organization leaders from Ninggang, Yongxin, and Lianhua counties here. Attendees included comrades such as Long Chaoqing (Ninggang), Wang Huai, Liu Zhen, Liu Zuoshu, He Minxue, Zhu Changxie, He Zizhen (Yongxin), and Zhu Yiyue (Lianhua). After thoroughly inquiring about the conditions of the party organizations in each county, Comrade Mao pointed out that there were too few worker and peasant party members and too many intellectuals, resulting in unstable party organizations and wavering revolutionary resolve. He urged each county to promptly rebuild their party organizations and strive to advance the struggle. After the meeting, party members who had been hiding in the mountains around Maoping returned to their respective counties, successively restoring and establishing party organizations. They actively carried out work, formed local armed forces, mobilized the masses to overthrow local tyrants, distribute wealth, launched rural guerrilla uprisings, and led the people in the great struggle to establish the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base. By February 1928, the base had taken control of three county towns—Ninggang, Chaling, and Suichuan—establishing red political power in all three counties and initiating the worker-peasant armed separatist movement in the Hunan-Jiangxi border area. Thus, the Xiangshan Nunnery Meeting became a crucial step in Mao Zedong’s efforts to establish the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base.

At the same time, Xiangshan Nunnery also served as the site of the Rear Guard Office of the Worker-Peasant Revolutionary Army. Established in early October 1927 and overseen by Comrade Yu Benmin, the office was mainly responsible for planning and managing rear facilities such as field hospitals, clothing factories, and weapons repair workshops. Thanks to the efforts of the office staff and the support of the local population, the rear operations were carried out exceptionally well, making significant contributions to the establishment and development of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base.

Address: Maoping Village, Jinggangshan City

Type: Historical Architecture

Opening Hours:

08:00-17:00

Ticket Information:

No admission fee. Included in the general ticket for the Jinggangshan Scenic Area.