Huang Chao Peasant Uprising Memorial Site

Huang Chao Peasant Uprising Memorial Site

The Huang Chao Peasant Uprising Memorial Site is a cultural relic protection unit of Licheng District.

According to the Old and New Books of Tang and the Licheng County Annals: In the second year of the Qianfu era (875 AD), Huang Chao led a rebellion, campaigning across the land and styling himself the "General Who Charges to the Heavens." In the first year of the Zhonghe era (880 AD), he captured the Tang capital Chang’an, declared himself emperor, and established the state of Great Qi. In the second year of Zhonghe, he withdrew from Chang’an, and in the fourth year, he advanced eastward to the area around Huangcaogu in the northern foothills of Mount Tai to set up camp. Due to pursuit by Tang forces, the rebel army engaged in a decisive battle with the Tang army at "Jiaozhan Ridge" north of Huangchao Village. However, due to being outnumbered, they were all tragically killed in the fierce fighting. With no other choice, Huang Chao ordered his nephew Lin Yan to behead him and surrender to the Tang. He hoped to make a comeback later. Lin Yan couldn’t bear to do it, so Huang Chao immediately committed suicide. Lin Yan then cut off his head and surrendered to the Tang general Shang Rang. However, Shang Rang accused Lin Yan of being “unjust, unrighteous, disloyal, and unfilial,” beheaded him as well, and went to claim the credit.

Huangchao Village was originally called "Huangcaogu" (as evidenced by the inscription on the "Three Officials Temple" stele within the village today), and remnants of the Huang Chao rebel army’s encampments and battles can still be found here. Places such as Cheziyu, Caiyu, and Caifengyu were where the rebel army stored chariots, grew vegetables, and made military uniforms, respectively; Yinmawan and Qiganwo were where the rebel troops watered their horses and raised their large flags. The Three Officials Temple in the village served as the military headquarters for Huang Chao’s forces. "Jiaozhan Ridge" and "Dead Man’s Gully" were the sites of the fiercest and bloodiest battles between the rebel army and the Tang forces. "Dead Man’s Gully," originally called "Hulugu," is the place where Huang Chao met his end. It is said that at the time, Huang Chao set up his "Golden Throne Hall" inside the residence of Du Qingjiang, a wealthy local landlord. Huangchao Village also once preserved a large flag belonging to Huang Chao, which villagers would take out to pray for rain during severe droughts in ancient times. Unfortunately, this flag went missing during the Cultural Revolution. As a site of the Huang Chao peasant uprising, the village was designated as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit in 1989.