Yejia Dazhuang Village, Tongbai County

Yejia Dazhuang Village, Tongbai County

Yejia Dazhuang is located 1.5 kilometers south of Tongbai County in Henan Province, on the north side of National Highway 312. It was the former site of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the Central China Military Region, and the Central China Administrative Office. Originally a village of the Ye family clan, it features a typical residential architectural style. In front of the village lies a barrier weir. Over the past decade or so, the addition of modern housing has altered its original appearance.

In October 1945, following an order from Chairman Mao Zedong of the CPC Central Committee, the 60,000 soldiers of three armies—the New Fourth Army’s 5th Division under Li Xiannian, the Southern Advance Detachment of the Eighth Route Army under Wang Zhen, and the Henan Military Region forces under Wang Shusheng—converged in Tongbai. The Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the Central China Administrative Office, and the Central China Military Region were established in Yejia Dazhuang. They led the resistance against the enemy in the Central China region, pinning down 300,000 Kuomintang troops in the area for as long as ten months. This bought our army extremely valuable strategic time to secure the fruits of victory in the War of Resistance in Central, North, and East China, buying time and gaining the initiative for the entire Liberation War. Yejia Dazhuang thus became a symbol in the military history of our Party and army.

To promote revolutionary traditions, cultivate national spirit, and showcase Tongbai’s red culture, since 2004, the Tongbai County Party Committee and County Government have invested 50.1 million yuan to restore the former site of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (Yejia Dazhuang). The restored site recreates the Yejia Courtyard residential architectural complex, reflecting the style of local Ming and early Qing dynasty dwellings with blue bricks and gray tiles in traditional courtyard houses. The entire complex follows the contours of the mountain, rising in tiers with well-ordered and staggered layouts. It covers a total area of about 70 mu, with the main buildings occupying approximately 7,500 square meters and a built-up area of about 3,050 square meters. There are 11 courtyards of various sizes, 194 rooms, and one garden, including the former residences of Li Xiannian, Zheng Weisan, and Chen Shaomin, the Tongbai Revolutionary Memorial Hall, and a sculpture park of notable figures. After several years of development and construction, the former site of the Central China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (Yejia Dazhuang) has become a new highlight of national red tourism. In 2004, it was listed as one of the first 100 classic red tourism scenic spots in China.