Former Site of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo

Former Site of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo

The Former Site of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

The Former Site of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Xibaipo is located in Pingshan County, Hebei Province, 80 kilometers from the provincial capital Shijiazhuang. This was once the location of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the headquarters of the People's Liberation Army. Many important meetings of the CPC Central Committee were held here before the founding of the People’s Republic of China. A series of major battles, including the three major campaigns, were planned and commanded here, and dozens of Mao Zedong’s brilliant works were written here. It served as the leadership center of the Chinese revolution at that time.

From May 26, 1948, to March 23, 1949, it was the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the People's Liberation Army. In September 1948, the CPC Central Committee held the September Meeting here. Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, and others directed the famous three major campaigns—the Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin Campaigns—from here. In March 1949, the CPC also held the significant Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee here.

The Xibaipo Memorial Hall, established in 1977, consists of four educational visiting areas: the Former Site of the CPC Central Committee, the Exhibition Hall, the Calligraphy and Stone Carving Garden, and the Traditional Education Series Project. The compound of the Former Site of the CPC Central Committee houses the former residences of Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Ren Bishi, and others, as well as the former site of the PLA Headquarters. Between the front and rear yards of the Former Site compound is the site of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee. The westernmost part of the compound is the site of the September Meeting of the CPC Central Committee in 1948. In 1982, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

The current compound of the Former Site of the CPC Central Committee was reconstructed starting in 1971 on the northern hillside of the original site, following the original layout and using original building components, after the construction of the Gangnan Reservoir in 1958. The main gate faces south and the compound is divided into front and rear yards, covering an area of 16,000 square meters. The buildings are flat-roofed structures made of brick and wood.

In the front yard, from east to west, the small courtyards are, in sequence, the former residences of Zhou Enlai, Ren Bishi, Mao Zedong, the former site of the PLA Operations Department, the former residence of Liu Shaoqi, the former residence of Dong Biwu, and the site of the September Meeting of the CPC Central Committee. In the northeast corner of the rear yard, there are three cave-style buildings that served as the former office and living quarters of Zhu De.

Between the front and rear yards in the western part of the compound is the site of the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the CPC.

Further reading:

· Second Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units

· Second Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units