Zhu De’s Former Residence in Shanhe Village

Zhu De’s Former Residence in Shanhe Village

Zhu De’s Former Residence in Shanhe Village is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism site.

Traveling along the Wanyin Highway of the provincial-level scenic area “Liukeng–Jinzhu” in Le’an County, you’ll come across a vast sericulture tourism and sightseeing park in Huping Township. Here, mulberry trees are lush and green, springs trickle into babbling brooks where crabs and fish swim freely. A winding little river features an ancient stone bridge with a history of over 500 years, and at the other end of the bridge lies the village where “Zhu De once picked snails”—Shanhe Village.

It was during the season when the fields were lush and green that a reporter visited Shanhe Village on its reputation. There, wisps of cooking smoke curled up, old and new houses stood side by side, peaceful and serene, presenting a picturesque scene of small bridges, flowing water, and quaint homes. In the village stands an elaborately carved old house, known locally as the “Shanhe Village Anxia Grand House,” which is Zhu De’s former residence.

Stepping into the Anxia Grand House, one can deeply cherish the memory of the older generation of revolutionaries, while listening to an elderly villager, over 80 years old, recount the story of “Zhu De picking snails.” In the early summer of 1933, from May to early July—over 70 years ago—the First Red Army conducted a significant military reorganization in the Shanhe Village area of Huping Township, known as the “Dahu Ping Reorganization.” At that time, Zhu De, Commander-in-Chief of the First Red Army, was stationed at the Anxia Grand House in Shanhe Village with the headquarters. It happened to be around the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, and with no dishes prepared, Zhu De and soldiers from the directly affiliated engineering company went down to the fields with bamboo baskets, chatting and laughing. In no time, they had gathered a large basket of snails. During the communal meal, Zhu De looked around at everyone and asked, “Comrades, what are we missing?” The soldiers replied, “Alcohol!” Zhu De nodded and said, “Yes, how can we do without wine?” He then whispered something to his orderly, who smiled and nodded, promptly running off to the kitchen. Soon after, he returned with a bucket of “wine” and poured a bowl for each person. Upon tasting it, everyone realized it was actually tea and burst into laughter. Then Zhu De said, “There’s an old poem that goes, ‘In a cold night, when a guest arrives, tea is served as wine.’ It seems tea can indeed take the place of wine.” The soldiers drank and commented, “It works—this feels even better than a hearty feast in Apricot Blossom Village.” Zhu De ate and chatted with the soldiers until the afternoon before they all dispersed.

The old house remains intact to this day, and inside, many Red Army slogans are still preserved. The elderly man said there are at least a hundred slogans written by the Red Army back then that are still preserved in the village. All are written on the doorways and outer walls of six century-old houses in the village. Despite more than 70 years of weathering, the inscriptions remain clearly legible. Their content includes phrases such as “Expand the National Revolutionary War,” “Safeguard the Victory of Land Distribution,” “Expand Worker-Peasant Armed Forces,” “Safeguard the Land Revolution,” and “Consolidate the Soviet Regime.”

After hearing the story, the elderly man took us for a walk through Shanhe Village, where we also discovered many brightly colored painted door gods on the lintels of old houses in the village. The door gods, warriors clad in Ming Dynasty attire and about 70 centimeters tall, hold swords and have solemn expressions. Despite centuries of weathering, their colors remain unfaded. Experts speculate that the house is at least 400 years old, and the painted door gods date from before the late Ming Dynasty. The discovery of these painted door gods holds significant value for the study of ancient painting.

In Shanhe Village, you can also visit two Ming Dynasty structures. One is a stone bridge built by a widow who spent her life savings to facilitate villagers’ travel; it still stands proudly, dating back to the late Ming Dynasty. Beside the ancient stone bridge is an old opera stage built within a ancestral hall, whose three interconnected caisson ceilings on the roof showcase the exceptional craftsmanship of ancient artisans.

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