Deng Xiaoping's Former Residence and Labor Workshop

Deng Xiaoping's Former Residence and Labor Workshop

Deng Xiaoping's Former Residence and Labor Workshop is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The former workplace of Comrade Deng Xiaoping is located in Nanchang City and Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province. In October 1969, during the “ten-year period,” Deng Xiaoping and his wife Zhuo Lin, who had been wrongly criticized, were secretly sent to Xinjian County, Jiangxi Province, where they resided in the “General’s Building” at the Nanchang Infantry School (now Building No. 1 of the Nanchang Army Command College). After that, Deng and his wife walked over 20 minutes daily from their residence to the then Xinjian County Tractor Repair Factory to work. With their feet, they forged a path where there was none before—a path which local officials and residents affectionately called “Deng Xiaoping’s Path.” In February 1973, after resuming work, Deng Xiaoping left Xinjian County, where he had lived and worked for three years and four months.

In October 2000, the workshop where Deng Xiaoping worked in Xinjian County, along with his former residence located within the Nanchang Army Command College, were designated as provincial-level cultural relics protection units. The main sites include four locations: “Xiao Ping’s Building,” “Deng Xiaoping’s Path,” “Xiao Ping’s Workshop,” and “Xiao Ping’s Square.” Among them, “Xiao Ping’s Square” was built on an open space in front of the Xinjian County Cotton and Hemp Factory; a visitor path was constructed alongside “Deng Xiaoping’s Path,” featuring pavilions, benches, and signboards that recount small stories related to the path. Additionally, there are three exhibition halls: “Xiao Ping’s Workshop” serves as the first exhibition hall, arranged to replicate the scene of Deng Xiaoping’s labor at the time, displaying the workbench he used, labor tools, machine equipment, and more. The second and third exhibition halls are located in two adjacent workshops. One displays the “Three Major Items”—the Fengshou-27 tractor, the Shangrao-brand bus, and the Liberation-brand truck. This tractor was used to transport Deng back to his residence after he fainted during work. The truck and bus were purchased with special funds allocated after Deng’s political rehabilitation to address factory difficulties and commuting inconveniences for employees. The other exhibition area showcases all of Deng Xiaoping’s textual and visual materials from his time in Jiangxi, using various techniques such as sound, light, and electricity to recreate the presence of this great leader.

Visiting Route: Enter through the main gate of the Cotton and Hemp Factory, follow the bilingual signs to the first exhibition hall (“Xiao Ping’s Workshop”) and the second exhibition hall (exhibition room for the “Three Major Items”). While listening to introductions from veteran workers who once worked with Deng Xiaoping, carefully view the relics and read the bilingual descriptions next to them. Then, walk along “Deng Xiaoping’s Path” to “Xiao Ping’s Building.” After viewing the text and photo panels on the first floor, proceed to the second floor to visit Deng’s study and bedroom. Upon leaving “Xiao Ping’s Building,” you can also walk along the second “Deng Xiaoping’s Path,” which Deng used daily for strolling and reflecting on state affairs, then return the same way. Through this, visitors can gain a relatively complete understanding of Deng Xiaoping’s life and work in Jiangxi, and fully appreciate the personal charm and revolutionary optimism of this great leader.

In May 2013, the State Council (State Council Document [2013] No. 13) announced Deng Xiaoping's Former Residence and Labor Workshop as part of the seventh group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units