Site of the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base

Site of the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base

The Site of the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base was established and developed between February 1930 and August 1934 on the foundation of revolutionary struggles in the Jinggang Mountains, southwestern Jiangxi, and southeastern Hunan during the Agrarian Revolutionary War. The base was situated west of the Gan River, south of the Zhuping Railway and Yuan River, east of the Canton–Hankow Railway, and north of Dayu along the Hunan-Jiangxi border. It encompassed nine counties in Hunan — Chaling, Youxian, Lingxian, Liling, Leiyang, Zixing, Chenxian, Guiyang, and Yizhang — as well as the Chang-Xiang District, and sixteen counties in Jiangxi — Yongxin, Ninggang, Lianhua, Anfu, Suichuan, Ji’an, Pingxiang, Xinyu, Yichun, Xiajiang, Fenyi, Shangyou, Chongwen, Wan’an, Xinfeng, and Dayu — totaling 25 counties with an area of approximately 1,000 square kilometers and a population of over one million in its core Soviet areas. The region features high mountains, dense forests, and an intricate network of waterways. The Luoxiao Mountain Range, extending from north to south, lies along the Hunan-Jiangxi border. Its continuous towering peaks, perilous terrain, abundant natural resources, and self-sufficient small-scale farming economy provided favorable conditions for guerrilla warfare.

In January 1929, after the main force of the Fourth Red Army advanced into southern Jiangxi and western Fujian, some remaining Red Army troops and local militias in the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base, under the leadership of the Special Committee of the Chinese Communist Party for the Hunan-Jiangxi Border Area, expanded the base through two years of struggle. In July 1931, following a decision by the Central Bureau of the Chinese Soviet Area, the Hunan Southeast and South Hunan Special Committees, along with the three sub-committees (West, South, and North Routes), merged the regions west of the Gan River under their jurisdiction into the Hunan-Jiangxi Province. On August 1, the Provisional Provincial Committee of the CCP Hunan-Jiangxi was established in Yongxin, with Wang Shoudao serving as the provincial party secretary. In October, the First Congress of the CCP Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Committee and the First Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers of the Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Soviet were held in Huatang Village, Lianhua County, officially establishing the CCP Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Committee and the Provincial Soviet Government. Wang Shoudao and Ren Bishi successively served as provincial party secretaries, while Yuan Desheng and Tan Yubao successively served as chairmen of the Provincial Soviet Government. The provincial party committee, the Soviet government, and provincial-level agencies were all headquartered in Yongxin County. Thus, the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base, centered around Yongxin, was officially formed. It spanned a vast area west of the Gan River, south of the Yuan River, east of the Canton–Hankow Railway, and north of Dayu, covering approximately 20 counties with a population of over one million. Subsequently, the provincial committee and the Soviet government led the Red Army and guerrilla forces in mobilizing the masses, advancing the agrarian revolution, conducting guerrilla warfare, and establishing the Soviet governments of more than ten counties including Yongxin, Ninggang, Lianhua, Shangyou, and Chongyi. In February 1932, the 1st and 3rd Independent Divisions of the Red Army in the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base were merged to form the 8th Red Army, with Li Tianzhu as acting army commander and Wang Zhen as acting political commissar. In June 1933, Ren Bishi became the secretary of the Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Committee. Meanwhile, the 17th Division, formed from the reorganized 8th Red Army, and the 18th Division, transferred from the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base, were combined in Yongxin to form the Sixth Red Army Corps. Ren Bishi served as chairman of the Army-Political Committee. In August 1934, Xiao Ke became the corps commander, and Wang Zhen the political commissar. Later, under instructions from the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the Sixth Red Army Corps, led by Ren Bishi (chairman of the Army-Political Committee), Xiao Ke (corps commander), and Wang Zhen (political commissar), evacuated the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base and moved toward central Hunan. Some Red Army troops remained in the Hunan-Jiangxi region to continue guerrilla warfare. The establishment of the Hunan-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base significantly contributed to the consolidation and development of the Central Revolutionary Base. It served as a reliable western stronghold and a strategically solid flank for the Central Revolutionary Base, while also functioning as a key link between the Central Revolutionary Base and the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Revolutionary Base.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units