Qiaotou Jiangjia – Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Shuikou

Qiaotou Jiangjia – Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Shuikou

Qiaotou Jiangjia – Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Shuikou is a protected cultural heritage site of Hunan Province, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Qiaotou Jiangjia – Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Shuikou is located in Qiaotou Jiangjia Group, Shuikou Village, Shuikou Town, Yanling County, Zhuzhou City.

On September 29, 1927, Mao Zedong led the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising to Sanwan, where he carried out the famous Sanwan Reorganization. The reorganization reduced one division and three regiments into a single regiment, established a soldiers’ committee within the army, and proposed placing Party branches at the company level, establishing Party organizations at all levels and the system of Party representatives, setting up Party committees above the battalion level, and unifying the entire army under the command of the Front Committee of the Party. This move established the Party’s absolute leadership over the army. Subsequently, on October 3, an enlarged meeting of the Front Committee was held in Zuocheng, Ninggang, to summarize the experiences and lessons of the Autumn Harvest Uprising and discuss issues such as winning over the two local armed forces led by Yuan Wencai and Wang Zuo. Later, with the help of Yuan Wencai, a rear base and field hospital were established in Maoping, where the wounded and sick were properly accommodated, before continuing the march toward southern Hunan.

In mid-October 1927, the troops arrived in Shuikou, Ling County. Mao Zedong stayed at the home of Qianqin Jiang, in Qiaotou Jiangjia, Shuikou. With a relatively stable environment in Shuikou, Mao considered that although the issue of “establishing Party branches at the company level” had been raised during the Sanwan Reorganization, it had not yet been implemented. Therefore, he convened a meeting of Party representatives from various companies to discuss how to carry out this initiative, and approved the secret admission of six new Party members who had been recruited during the march. At Qiaotou Jiangjia, Mao also met with He Jianshu, a cadre of the agrarian movement in Yanling County. He Jianshu reported to Mao on the conditions of Ling County and the progress of revolutionary struggles. After listening, Mao urged them to organize the peasants, gradually expand the peasant armed forces, and asked whether they were willing to work in the army and if there were people knowledgeable about military affairs. He Jianshu immediately introduced He Guocheng and He Shiliang, both graduates of the second class of the Whampoa Military Academy, who had returned to their hometowns after the May 21st Incident due to dissatisfaction with Chiang Kai-shek’s betrayal of the revolution. Mao was very pleased with this and asked He Jianshu to go back and discuss it with them. The next day, He Jianshu found He Guocheng and He Shiliang, and both expressed willingness to join. A few days later, when the three of them arrived in Shuikou, Mao had already led the troops away.

During his time in Shuikou, Mao conducted in-depth social investigations to understand the enemy situation, class conditions, land ownership, geographical environment, and special resources in the counties around the central section of the Luoxiao Mountains. He also carried out extensive mass work, promoting the political ideals and aims of the revolution.

The former residence is a building from the Qing Dynasty, designed as a quadrangle-style folk house. The main structure consists of two courtyards, with a courtyard in the center, an ancestral altar in the rear hall, living quarters on the left and right, and symmetrical layouts on both sides separated from the hall by wooden screens. It remains well-preserved with a stable structure. The building covers an area of 600 square meters, with a protected area of 40 square meters.

Qiaotou Jiangjia – Mao Zedong’s Former Residence in Shuikou was designated as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the People’s Government of Hunan Province in October 1983; in September 2001, it was announced as a patriotic education base of Zhuzhou City by the Publicity Department of the Zhuzhou Municipal Committee.