Former Residence of General Tang Tianji

Former Residence of General Tang Tianji

The former residence of General Tang Tianji is a cultural relic protection unit of Chenzhou City.

The former residence of General Tang Tianji is located in Yangliutian Village, Huawang Township, Anren County, Hunan Province. It was originally built in the 30th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1904), with a total width of 43.5 meters, a depth of 23 meters, two stories in height, and a two-courtyard layout. The building covers a construction area of 1,300 square meters and occupies a site area of 2,100 square meters. Constructed with blue bricks and tiles and featuring horse-head walls, the structure is made of brick and timber using a post-and-lintel and raised-beam framework. The plan layout consists of three main gates aligned from east to west. The central hall comprises an ancestral shrine, front and rear chambers, and a courtyard, while the side wings include corridors, cross halls, courtyards, and wing rooms. The front eaves of the house feature painted patterns of birds, animals, flowers, and plants on the hip-and-gable walls—vivid and lifelike. Calligraphy works by a Qing Dynasty scholar, inscribed with maxims such as "Lofty as a Pavilion," "Elegance Radiates, Renewal Takes Form," and "Contentment in Peace, Virtue as Neighbor," are bold and powerful. These are hung high above the three gates, gleaming under the sun and moon.

The residence is where General Tang Tianji lived and began his early revolutionary activities. In May 1925, he was admitted to the fourth class of the Whampoa Military Academy, after which he left his hometown to join the revolution. In 1927, he participated in the Nanchang Uprising. In October, he was sent back to his hometown by the Party organization to carry out revolutionary struggles. Under his organization and leadership, the first grassroots Party organization in Anren County—the Huawang Party Branch—was established in January 1928 at the residence.

In mid-April 1928, after General Tang Tianji led the farmers’ army of Anren to follow Marshal [Redacted] up to Jinggangshan, reactionaries sought to burn down his former residence. It was only through the strenuous efforts of the underground Party organization and local villagers that it was preserved.

In April 1944, it was also damaged by Japanese artillery fire, leaving many bullet marks on the walls.

In November 1949, when General Tang Tianji led the 21st Corps of the People’s Liberation Army southward, he stayed and worked in the residence. In June 1956, Chen Qitian (then Governor of Hunan Province), General Chen Mingren (Commander of the 21st Corps), and Tang Shengzhi, among other notable figures, visited the residence for an inspection.

In the autumn of 1982, General Tang Tianji returned to his hometown to inspect the residence and took a group photo with fellow villagers. The residence underwent renovations in 1949, 1982, and 2004.

On October 22, 2004, the county party committee and government held an unveiling ceremony at the former residence of General Tang Tianji. Major General Tan Yibing of the Provincial Military District, Madam Geng Xixian (General Tang’s wife), Tang Shuang (General Tang’s daughter), and renowned actress Chen Hong (General Tang’s grandniece) visited the general’s home.

Designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit in 1982 and a municipal-level one in 2003, the former residence of Tang Tianji embodies the architectural characteristics of ancient southern Hunan residential buildings, from site selection and planning to design and craftsmanship, all infused with traditional cultural elements. The fragrance of straw wafts from the front yard, embraced by mountains and water, offering a pleasant landscape. Towering pines, cypresses, and bamboos behind the house create a lush, solemn atmosphere that commands reverence.

Tang Tianji

(1904–1989)

Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, Lieutenant General of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, and Vice Minister of the General Logistics Department.

Born in a peasant family in Huawang Township, Anren County, Hunan Province, on November 1, 1904. His original name was Tang Shiyong. He entered the Hunan Law and Politics Specialized School in 1921. In May 1925, he joined the Communist Youth League of China and became a member of the Communist Party of China in September 1926. In 1925, approved by the CPC organization, he also joined the Kuomintang and was admitted to the fourth class of the Whampoa Military Academy... More details about Tang Tianji++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units