Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall

Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall

The Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall is located within the Bandit Suppression Victory Park in Chenxi County. Established in 2003, it covers an area of 1 hectare with a building area of 2,200 square meters. The hall includes the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall, the Chenxi Achievements Exhibition Hall, and the Jinshan Geological Museum. It is a provincial-level patriotic education base approved by the Hunan Provincial Committee that integrates cultural relic preservation and revolutionary tradition education.

Sixty years ago, the 47th Army of the People’s Liberation Army spent two years completely eradicating century-old banditry in Xiangxi through campaigns such as “focused encirclement,” “suppression of central areas,” and “battle for peripheral zones.” This effort liberated 3.5 million people of all ethnic groups in Xiangxi, making them the true masters of these mountains and rivers. During this battle, more than 1,000 soldiers of the 47th Army gave their precious young lives and were laid to rest in the Wuling Mountains and along the Yuan River. The people of Xiangxi will never forget them. As an important battlefield in the bandit suppression campaign, Chenxi has, over the years, been dedicated by its officials and citizens to collecting cultural relics and materials in honor of the martyrs. In 2006, the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall was completed.

The main gate of the exhibition hall is designed in the shape of “81,” symbolizing that the Xiangxi bandit suppression was an important part of the Liberation War. The hall houses over 200 artifacts from the bandit suppression period, including homemade cannons, spears, broadswords, and ammunition, as well as over 700 precious photographs. It also features reconstructions of scenes depicting the PLA pursuing stubborn bandits and caves where bandits hid.

The exhibition hall of the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall covers an area of 1,700 square meters. Its exterior is a single-story concrete structure in the style of a traditional southern Chinese courtyard, and the gate is shaped like “81,” signifying that the Xiangxi bandit suppression was an important part of the Liberation War. The total number of items in the collection has reached 6,963 (sets), among which there are five first-class, seventeen second-class, and 128 third-class precious cultural relics. This collection size ranks first among museums in Huaihua’s counties and districts. The hall consists of four exhibits: the Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Historical Materials Exhibition Hall, displaying over 200 precious cultural relics and objects related to the bandit suppression, over 500 treasured photographs, and over 10 million words of historical documents and books on the subject; the Cultural History Museum, showcasing 48 precious relics from various historical periods of Chenxi; the 12th Five-Year Plan Achievements Exhibition Hall, highlighting the social and economic development achievements of Chenxi since the founding of the People’s Republic of China 60 years ago; and the Jinshan Geological Museum, exhibiting over 200 fossils donated by Mr. Liu Jinshan, a native of Chenxi, illustrating the origin of the universe, the formation of the Earth, and the evolution of life.

Further Reading:

· China's National Third-Class Museum