Donggu Revolutionary Base Museum

Donggu Revolutionary Base Museum

The Donggu Revolutionary Base Museum is a classic red tourism destination.

The Donggu Revolutionary Base Museum, located in the center of Donggu She Ethnic Township, Qingyuan District, was established in 1977. It covers an area of 3,800 square meters, with a building area of 1,600 square meters. The site is enclosed by walls and consists of two main buildings, front and back. The courtyard is lush with cypress trees and vibrant flowers. The museum comprehensively reflects the establishment and development process of the Donggu Revolutionary Base.

“Above there is Jinggangshan, below there is Donggushan.” This widely circulated folk saying from the Central Soviet Area vividly illustrates the connection between the cradle of revolution, Jinggangshan, and the Li Wenlin-style base at Donggushan, highlighting Donggushan’s significant status and role in the history of the Chinese revolution. The Donggu Revolutionary Base was one of the earliest revolutionary bases established by the Chinese Communist Party in Jiangxi during the early stages of the Second Revolutionary Civil War. It is situated at the junction of Ji’an, Jishui, Taihe, Yongfeng, and Xingguo counties. From September 1927 to November 1929, it went through phases of establishment, consolidation, and development. Starting in 1930, it became part of the Southwest Jiangxi Revolutionary Base and was later incorporated into the territory of the Central Soviet Area. Its revolutionary struggle continued until the Long March of the main Red Army forces, lasting a total of seven years, making it a symbol of the people’s fight in Jiangxi during the Agrarian Revolutionary War. Together with the revolutionary bases in southern Jiangxi and western Fujian, the Donggu Revolutionary Base formed three cornerstones of the Central Revolutionary Base.

The armed struggle in the Donggu Red revolutionary zone was uniquely characterized by mobilizing the masses extensively, secretly establishing Party organizations and revolutionary governments, employing elusive guerrilla tactics, continuously striking against local tyrants and reactionary armed forces, deeply advancing land reforms, and developing the base’s economy and social initiatives. These distinctive methods independently created the “Li Wenlin-style” base, notable for its covert revolutionary control. The experience gained from the struggles in Donggu greatly enriched Mao Zedong’s theory of armed agrarian revolution and stands as a creative contribution by the Communists in Donggu to the Chinese revolution. Especially in February 1929, during the difficult times when the Fourth Red Army suffered repeated setbacks while operating in southern Jiangxi, Donggu provided invaluable support and assistance, becoming a crucial stronghold in support of the Fourth Red Army. This made a major contribution to the development of the people's army. From then on, the Donggu Revolutionary Base entered a new phase of development, becoming a practical arena where Comrade Mao Zedong explored the path of surrounding cities from the countryside and seizing power through armed struggle. It witnessed heroic episodes such as the First, Second, and Third Counter-Encirclement Campaigns, becoming one of the important birthplaces of Mao Zedong’s military thought. It served as an extension of the Jinggangshan path and an inheritance and further development of the Jinggangshan spirit.

Donggu was praised by Chen Yi as the “Dong Jinggang” (East Jinggangshan).

The museum is divided into four exhibition sections: “The Establishment and Formation of the Donggu Revolutionary Base,” “The Consolidation of the Donggu Revolutionary Base,” “The Development and Integration of the Donggu Revolutionary Base,” and “Glory for Eternity.” The museum displays over 200 important revolutionary documents and relics.

Donggu She Ethnic Township: Donggu She Ethnic Township is located in the southeastern part of Qingyuan District, approximately 82 kilometers from the district government seat. It borders Yongfeng County to the east, Xingguo County to the south, Taihe County to the west, and Futian Town of the same district to the north. The township covers a total land area of 243 square kilometers, comprising 15 village committees and 1 neighborhood committee, with a population of nearly 18,000, including more than 5,200 people of She ethnicity. Forested areas account for 80% of the township’s total land, and cultivated land spans 1,194 hectares. In 2003, the gross domestic product reached 99.74 million yuan, the per capita income of farmers was 1,300 yuan, and fiscal revenue amounted to 1.43 million yuan. ... Detailed information about Donggu She Ethnic Township++