Former Site of the Liuji Branch of the CPC

Former Site of the Liuji Branch of the CPC

The Former Site of the Liuji Branch of the CPC is a Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism attraction, a patriotic education base, and a national defense education base.

Dawang Town is located in the southern part of the Yellow River Delta, the youngest land of the People's Republic. The town covers a total area of 122 square kilometers, governs one provincial-level economic development zone, 97 administrative villages, 27 residential communities, and has a permanent resident population of 160,000. Dawang Town is a veteran revolutionary base where some of the earliest rural Party branches in the province and even the country were established. It preserved and disseminated the first Chinese translation of The Communist Manifesto, gave birth to many notable figures such as Deng Tianyi, Li Yunsheng, Li Yutang, Ding Laifu, and Zhang Taiheng, saw the emergence of the first anti-Japanese armed force on the Qinghe Plain, and the first Guangrao County Committee of the CPC was established in Liiji, Dawang.

The Liuji Village Party Branch was established in the spring of 1925 and was one of the earliest rural Party branches in Shandong Province. Liu Liangcai served as the branch secretary, with Liu Yingcai and Liu Hongcai as committee members, under the jurisdiction of the Jinan Local Executive Committee of the CPC. In August 1927, on the foundation of the Liuji Branch, the Guangrao Special Branch of the CPC was established, with Liu Liangcai as secretary and concurrently as the Liuji Branch secretary. In December 1928, the Guangrao County Committee of the CPC was formed based on the Guangrao Special Branch, with Liu Liangcai as a committee member, later becoming the county party secretary the following year. Under the leadership of higher Party organizations, the Liuji Branch actively carried out revolutionary propaganda, developed the Party organization, and led the peasants in struggles such as “demanding wage increases for farm laborers,” “demanding wage increases for short-term workers,” “raiding the slopes,” and “smashing the timber yards.” During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Liuji Branch mobilized Party members and villagers to join the fight for national salvation, earning the reputation of being the “Little Moscow” of the border region. During the Liberation War, the Liuji Branch led the people in vigorously supporting the front lines, making significant contributions to the victory of the war. The village, which had only about 100 households, produced 27 martyrs and sent 192 people to join the army or take up revolutionary work.

On July 1, 2005, the Memorial Hall of the Former Site of the Liuji Branch of the CPC was completed and opened in Dawang Town, becoming the first memorial hall dedicated to a rural Party branch site in the province. The memorial hall covers an area of 1,300 square meters and features restored exhibits of the original branch site, a historical exhibition, and large outdoor bas-relief displays highlighting key events. The original site has been restored according to the living conditions of the time. Facilities such as concealed doors and tunnels, specially built to protect underground revolutionaries during those years, recreate the harsh struggle environment and the indomitable spirit of the revolutionary pioneers. The historical exhibition hall is a traditional Chinese-style building with imitation ancient upturned eaves and corridors. The exhibition hall is divided into pictorial-text displays and cultural relic exhibits, vividly introducing the heroic deeds of revolutionaries like Liu Zijiu and Liu Liangcai, as well as the pioneering revolutionary role of the Liuji Branch. The large outdoor bas-relief display vividly depicts the intense revolutionary struggles led by the Liuji Branch.

Since its establishment, the Memorial Hall of the Liuji Branch of the CPC has fully played its role as a patriotic education base and Party member education center, becoming a main venue for long-term education of Party cadres and for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education among youths. Currently, the museum is recognized as a Shandong Provincial Patriotic Education Base, Shandong Provincial Party Member Education Base, and Shandong Provincial National Defense Education Base.

In addition, to commemorate the arduous journey of the dissemination, use, and preservation of the first Chinese translation of The Communist Manifesto in Liuji Village, and to honor the great achievements of early revolutionaries, in 2011, Dawang Town invested in building the country’s first Memorial Hall of The Communist Manifesto, which began trial operations in January 2012. To date, it has received 1,500 tour groups totaling over 200,000 visitors. In November 2015, the museum became a Shandong Provincial Education Base for Caring for the Next Generation.

Dawang Town boasts abundant tourism resources, including a 30,000-mu Zhinv River Ecological Forest Farm, and the construction of the 6-million-cubic-meter General Lake and Yinma Lake. The Zhinv River connects to the Yang River, the Fengshui Ancient Course River links to both lakes, and the Bezhan River connects to the Zi River. Relying on multiple red tourism sites such as the Memorial Hall of the Former Site of the Liuji Branch of the CPC, the Memorial Hall of The Communist Manifesto, the Memorial Hall of General Zhang Taiheng, and the Memorial Hall of the Former Site of the Yanji Branch of the CPC, Dawang Town has established the 40,000-mu National AAAA-Level Red Tourism Area of Liuji. The scenic area also features special projects such as an adventure center, fruit-picking area, fishing zone, and water recreation area, making it a comprehensive holiday destination integrating education, leisure, sightseeing, tourism, dining, and entertainment. Visitors can receive red education while also experiencing the local green leisure and sightseeing charm.

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Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units