Former Site of the Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative

Former Site of the Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative

The Former Site of the Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative is a key cultural relic protection unit in Jiangxi Province and a classic red tourism site.

The Former Site of the Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative is a two-story brick-and-wood structure. It is an important red tourism site in Pingxiang and a key cultural relic protection unit in Jiangxi Province. The building is located on the east side of present-day Anyuan Square in Anyuan Town, Anyuan District, Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province. After the victory of the great Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Strike in 1922, the membership of the workers’ club increased to over 12,000. To effectively protect the interests of the workers and develop economic initiatives, the Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative was officially founded on February 7, 1923. A retail outlet was opened, with Yi Lirong serving as the first general manager, later succeeded by Mao Zemin. The cooperative’s funding came from a special fund allocated by the club and through share subscriptions among its members. Each shareholder received a lithographed stock certificate as proof and was entitled to regular dividends. The cooperative mainly dealt in currency exchange and the sale of daily necessities. Due to its relatively low prices, and the fact that those holding a shopping permit could make purchases there, it became very popular among workers. The Anyuan Miners’ and Railway Workers’ Consumer Cooperative was the first economic organization established by the Chinese working class. The stocks issued by the cooperative marked the first attempt by our Party to lead in financial affairs. It provided valuable experience in conducting economic work and training managerial capabilities, while also nurturing financial talent. Mao Zemin, who worked for many years in Anyuan’s economic sector, later became the first president of the Bank of the Chinese Soviet Republic.

Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province

Anyuan Town: Anyuan Town is located in the eastern suburbs of Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province, about 5 kilometers from downtown Pingxiang. It covers a total area of 25.5 square kilometers, including 218 hectares of arable land. The town administers 6 administrative villages and 12 neighborhood committees, hosts 11 resident organizations and 16 enterprises and public institutions. It has 1 middle school and 6 primary schools, with a total population of 36,000, including 12,400 agricultural residents. Anyuan currently has over 20 national, provincial, and municipal-level cultural relic protection sites, making it an important base for patriotic education nationwide. In 1998, it was designated as a national model town for comprehensive small-town economic development. In recent years, Anyuan... [More detailed information about Anyuan Town++]

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units