Hanbi Building

Hanbi Building

The Hanbi Building is a protected cultural heritage site of Guangdong Province and a patriotic education base.

The Hanbi Building was originally built in 1922 as a two-story structure within Chaozhou’s West Lake Park. Named for its location against green hills and facing the sparkling lake, it has become synonymous with serenity and beauty. Over the years, it has been deeply intertwined with China’s revolutionary history, bearing witness to many heroic tales and embodying the indomitable spirit of the revolution. In February 1925, the Nationalist Government, with the support and assistance of the Communist Party of China, launched the First Eastern Expedition. After capturing Chaozhou, Comrade Zhou Enlai established the Whampoa Military Academy Field Office at the Hanbi Building. It was here that Zhou carried out his work during the 14-day stay of the Eastern Expeditionary Army in Chaozhou, forever linking the building to his legacy. In the same year, during the Second Eastern Expedition, the Hanbi Building served as the command center for key leaders such as Chiang Kai-shek, Zhou Enlai, Soviet advisor Roza Kovalev, and He Yingqin. When the people of Chao’an celebrated the victory of the Second Eastern Expedition at West Lake, top commanders met with local representatives at the Hanbi Building. The first branch of the Whampoa Military Academy was also established in Chaozhou during the expedition, with its faculty and students conducting activities at the Hanbi Building. On August 1, 1927, under the leadership of Comrade Zhou Enlai, the Front Committee of the Communist Party of China launched the Nanchang Uprising — an armed revolt against the Kuomintang reactionaries. The revolutionary forces advanced thousands of miles from Fujian into Guangdong. Troops led by Ye Ting and He Long entered the Chaoshan region, arriving in Chaozhou on September 23. The Third Division Headquarters of He Long’s forces was stationed at the Hanbi Building, where Division Commander Zhou Yiqun directed battles. Key leaders, including Zhou Enlai, He Long, Ye Ting, Liu Bocheng, Peng Pai, and Guo Moruo, held joint military meetings there. Zhou Enlai also delivered a speech to crowds bidding farewell to the revolutionary troops under the red cotton tree in front of the building. This seven-day period, from around September 23 to September 30, became fondly known among the people of Chaozhou as the “Seven Red Days of Chaozhou.” During the Anti-Japanese War, the Hanbi Building was destroyed by Japanese forces. In 1963, Marshal He Long suggested transforming the building into a Revolutionary History Exhibition Hall for Chao’an County during his inspection visit to Chaozhou. In 1964, the government funded its reconstruction and invited Guo Moruo — then the Director of the Political Department during the Nanchang Uprising — to inscribe the name “Hanbi Building” and compose a regulated poem upon his revisit. The first exhibition, "The History of New Democratic Revolution in Chao’an County," was held there. On the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the exhibits were updated to include "The Seven Red Days of Chaozhou, Glorious Pages in History" and "The Glorious Life of Premier Zhou Enlai." In 2000, the Propaganda Department of the Guangdong Provincial Committee and the Guangdong Provincial Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission honored the Hanbi Building as a Patriotic Education Base. Over the years, it has been visited by numerous veteran revolutionaries and central leaders who have left heartfelt inscriptions. Many PLA soldiers, armed police, and students have also pledged their commitment to joining the Communist Party of China in solemn ceremonies here.

In 2008, it was designated as a Political and Ideological Education Base by the Guangdong Public Security Fire Brigade. In 2011, the Guangdong Provincial Party History Research Office recognized it as a Provincial Party History Education Base. That same year, it was jointly developed into a patriotic education base with local schools. On July 17, 2002, it was included in the Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units. (Source: Publicity Department of the Chaozhou Municipal Committee of the CPC)

Xihu Subdistrict: Located at the junction of the old and new urban areas, Xihu Subdistrict derives its name from its proximity to the famous West Lake.

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Jurisdiction

The subdistrict administers six community committees: Shangxiping Road, Xinghua Lane, Jiangxi Lane, Zengcuo Lane, Xirong Road, and Yueyuan. It covers a total area of 0.63 square kilometers, with a population of 26,944 by the end of 2003.

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Major Roads

Major roads in the area include Xiyuan Road, Xima Road, Kaiyuan Road, Huancheng West Road, Huancheng North Road, Xihé Road, Shangxiping Road, Daying Street, and Xirong Road.

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Honors

The subdistrict... More detailed information about Xihu Subdistrict ++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units