Chen Yian Memorial Hall and Monument

Chen Yian Memorial Hall and Monument

The Chen Yian Memorial Hall and Monument are designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Xiangyin, a classic red tourism attraction, and a patriotic education base.

The Chen Yian Memorial Hall and Monument are located in Jietoupu Town, Xiangyin County, Yueyang City.

Chen Yian’s former residence was originally located in Shentangwan, Jietoupu, Xiangyin County, but it was relocated in the 1970s due to the expansion of a reservoir. In 1978, a replica of his former home was built as the Chen Yian Memorial Hall (former residence). It is a single-story building with a brick-and-wood structure, featuring two rooms, one wing room, and one corner room. The roof is covered with blue tiles, the floor is paved with blue bricks, the walls are coated with white kiln bricks, and the total construction area is approximately 80 square meters.

Chen Yian, also known as Chen Bin, was born in 1905 in Jietoupu, Xiangyin. In 1920, he was admitted to the Hunan Provincial First-Class Industrial School, where he actively participated in anti-imperialist and anti-feudal student movements. In January 1926, he enrolled in the fourth class of the Whampoa Military Academy in Guangzhou. After graduating from the academy in October of the same year, he was assigned to the 7th Company, 3rd Platoon, 3rd Regiment of the Instructional Brigade of the 3rd Army of the National Revolutionary Army as a Party representative. In the summer of 1927, after advancing north with his unit to Wuchang, he was appointed as the quartermaster and supply officer of the Wuchang National Government Guard Regiment, overseeing the logistical operations of the entire regiment. After the July 15 political upheaval in Wuhan in 1927, he followed Commander Lu Deming to advance toward Nanchang in preparation for the uprising. Along the way, upon encountering the Pingliu Workers' and Peasants' Volunteer Army, he learned that the uprising forces had already moved south. As a result, the two groups merged to form the 1st Division of the 1st Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, where he was appointed as the head of the Quartermaster Department. In September of the same year, he participated in the Autumn Harvest Uprising led by Mao Zedong at the border of Hunan and Jiangxi. During the Sanwan Reorganization, he was appointed as the deputy battalion commander of the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 1st Division of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army and advanced with the unit to Jinggangshan. Soon after, he was appointed as the leader of the discipline inspection group.

In early 1928, after participating in battles to capture Suichuan and Ninggang, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the 1st Regiment and the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army. In May, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the 31st Regiment, 11th Division, 4th Army of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army (later renamed the 4th Red Army) and the battalion commander of the 1st Battalion. He successively led his troops in battles such as Gaolong, Yongxin, and Longyuankou. In August 1928, he was tasked with defending the Jinggangshan revolutionary base with the 1st Battalion and achieved victory in the Battle of Huangyangjie. At Huangyangjie, he commanded his troops to repel three enemy attacks and personally aimed and fired a mortar that hit its target with three shells, frightening the enemy into fleeing overnight. His actions contributed significantly to repelling the offensive of reactionary forces from Hunan, Guangdong, and Jiangxi and in safeguarding the Jinggangshan base. In December of the same year, while fighting against the enemy in Yanjiang, Yongxin, he was wounded in the calf by a bullet. Despite his injury, he endured over three months of arduous transfer and combat and subsequently served as the deputy chief of staff and later the chief of staff of the 5th Red Army.

In March 1929, Chen Yian returned home to recover from his leg injury and temporarily lost contact with the Party organization. In July 1930, he was ordered to rejoin the army and was appointed as the commander of the 1st Column of the 8th Red Army. At the time, the 3rd Red Army Corps was preparing to attack Changsha, and he was appointed as the front-line commander of the assault on Changsha. On August 5, when the Nationalist authorities mobilized forces for a large-scale counterattack, he commanded the 1st Column to hold off the enemy forces along Xinhe, Jingwu Gate, and Liuyang Gate for a full day and night, enabling most of the Red Army to evacuate safely. However, as the Political Department of the Army Corps failed to evacuate in time, he was ordered to lead the column in another attack on the city to assist in the withdrawal of the Political Department. During the fierce battle, he was unfortunately struck by four bullets in the waist and died heroically. In 1952, Mao Zedong personally signed the honorary certificate awarded to the top ten revolutionary martyrs by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, with Chen Yian ranked ninth.

In 1989, the Chen Yian Memorial Hall was renovated. Upon entering the hall, portraits of Chen Yian the martyr and his wife, Li Zhiqiang, are displayed on the central wall, beneath which the “Revolutionary Martyr Certificate” and photos of the Central Military Commission leaders with the martyr’s family are exhibited. Nearby are displayed five personal letters written by Peng Dehuai to the martyr’s wife, Li Zhiqiang, along with his inscription: “Lived for the people, lived greatly. Died for the revolution, died gloriously. Comrade Yian will live forever.” The west wall features an introduction to Chen Yian the martyr, two letters he wrote to his wife Li Zhiqiang, and some photos of him during his time at the industrial school and the Whampoa Military Academy. The east wall displays an inscription by former central leader Song Renqiong: “An outstanding Red Army general, an immortal hero of the people.” There are also photos of Chen Yian the martyr participating in the Autumn Harvest Uprising and battles at Jinggangshan. Beyond the main hall is the martyr’s bedroom, where the bed and furniture used during his wedding are exhibited. Passing through the bedroom leads to the room of the martyr’s mother, which displays furnishings such as a floral-patterned bed, a large cabinet, and a two-tier cabinet. Adjacent to the bedroom is a utility room containing items such as a cradle and a washstand. In early 2005, the People’s Government of Xiangyin County established a forest park (also known as the Martyrs’ Park) in Wangbin Village, Wenxing Town, on the east side of the Xiangchang Highway, and constructed the Chen Yian Martyr Monument there. The Chen Yian Martyr Memorial Hall will be relocated and rebuilt within the park.

The Chen Yian Memorial Hall was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Xiangyin County in September 1989 and as a patriotic education base of Yueyang City by the Publicity Department of the Yueyang Municipal Committee in November 2001.