Former Residence of Martyr Wei Baqun

Former Residence of Martyr Wei Baqun

The former residence of Martyr Wei Baqun is a cultural relic protection unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and a classic red tourism site.

The former residence of Martyr Wei Baqun is situated halfway up Teyashan Mountain in Dongli Village, Wuzhuan Town, Donglan County, Guangxi. Covering a total area of 250 square meters, it consists of two earthen-brick, tiled houses — one in the front and one in the back. Stretching out in front of the residence, the “Silver Sea Islet” appears like thousands of galloping horses. To the left, the waters of Ren Pond and Xiaolong Pond converge and flow past the base of the house, while to the right, the serene green waters of Huang Pond teeming with fish and shrimp provide a picturesque backdrop. The entire setting boasts beautiful mountain and water scenery.

Wei Baqun’s ancestors originally lived in Dongli Village, Mian’e Village (now called Weihuwang Village in Dongli Village). He was born there on February 6, 1894. As a youth, Wei Baqun attended both the Qingyuan School in Guangxi and the Guilin Politics and Law School. At the end of 1915, driven by the ideals of saving the nation and its people, he sold part of his land to buy weapons and gathered over a hundred fellow villagers to join the Guizhou Army in Guizhou, participating in the campaign against Yuan Shikai. In 1917, he entered the Guizhou Military Preparatory School. In August 1921, Wei Baqun, together with 18 like-minded youths including Chen Bomin, Huang Daquan, and Ya Sumin, founded the “Donglan Comrades Association for Reform” and led the peasant movement in Donglan. In 1923, he commanded the peasant army in three assaults on Donglan City. In early 1925, Wei Baqun went to Guangzhou to attend the Third Peasant Movement Training Institute. After graduating that summer, he opened the First Guangxi Peasant Movement Training Institute on September 15 at “Beidiyan” in Wuzhuan, Donglan, actively training key figures for the peasant movement. In February 1926, the Donglan Revolutionary County Committee was established on Xishan Mountain, and Wei Baqun was elected as director. That same month, the Kuomintang army attacked Donglan and suppressed the peasant movement, burning down Wei Baqun’s home. By July, the revolution had gained momentum, the enemy forces retreated, and due to revolutionary needs, Wei Baqun chose the open and elevated location halfway up Teyashan Mountain. There, he built a stone platform over a meter high and constructed two earthen-brick, tiled houses — one in the front and one in the back. Both houses featured four rows of internal roof supports and were divided into five rooms. The front house was slightly higher than the back and had an observation deck on the roof, used for monitoring the surroundings, receiving revolutionary comrades, and organizing peasant army meetings. The rear house served as the living quarters for Wei Baqun’s family.

After the new residence was completed, the family finally had a place to live, and Wei Baqun devoted himself wholeheartedly to revolutionary activities. In November 1926, he proudly joined the Chinese Communist Party. In December 1929, Wei Baqun participated in leading the Baise Uprising, serving as a member of the Red Seventh Army Front Committee, commander of the Third Column, and a member of the Right River Soviet Government. He led troops in carrying out land reform and building the base area in the Dongfeng region. In October 1930, the Red Seventh Army moved north to Hechi for reorganization, and the Third Column was renamed the 21st Division, with Wei Baqun appointed as division commander. He remained in the Youjiang region to continue armed guerrilla warfare. After the main force of the Red Army moved north, the armed forces in the Youjiang Revolutionary Base weakened, and the Kuomintang army launched a large-scale offensive against Donglan. In 1931, Wei Baqun’s newly built house was burned down.

At that time, the revolutionary struggle in the base area was in a downturn, making it impossible to rebuild the house. Consequently, Wei Baqun’s family — his stepmother Wang Ji, birth mother Huang Zumei, concubine Chen Dejiao, wife Chen Lanfen, secondary wife Wang Juqiu, later wife Huang Xiumei, third son Wei Geming, fourth son Wei Jianshi, and daughter Wei Meiluan, totaling nine people — were forced to follow him and hide in Longjing, Xishan. In August 1932, the Guangxi warlords deployed over 10,000 troops to launch the third and even more brutal “encirclement” of the Youjiang Revolutionary Base. All the valleys and hamlets of Xishan were sealed off, food supplies ran out, and Wang Ji, Huang Zumei, Chen Dejiao, Wei Geming, Wei Jianshi, and Wei Meiluan died successively of starvation. On October 19, 1932, after falling ill, Wei Baqun went to Xiangshadong in Xishan to coordinate and arrange military operations. In the middle of the night, he was tragically betrayed and killed by a turncoat named Wei Ang at the age of 38.

In the early years after liberation, the county government rebuilt the residence on the original site in honor of Martyr Wei Baqun. They also established “Baqun Primary School” there. On May 3, 1951, the county government officially designated the Baqun Residence as a county-level cultural relic protection unit. In 1986, the autonomous region’s Ethnic Affairs Commission allocated funds to build another “Baqun Primary School” in Weihuwang Village, Dongli. In the autumn of 1987, the school moved out of the old residence. In 1988, the Donglan County Government allocated funds to renovate the former residence of Martyr Wei Baqun. The front house was furnished with a half-length statue of Wei Baqun, and its walls displayed photos and historical materials showcasing his revolutionary life from birth to martyrdom. The rear house was restored to its original layout, featuring an ancestral altar, offering table, straw mats, stone mortars, and stone mills. The house is now managed by the cultural authorities.

On a cement platform just below and to the right of the former residence, there is a row of tombs. Each tomb is enclosed with cement mortar. Though not particularly grand or imposing, they appear solemn and respectful. A total of 17 family members of Martyr Wei Baqun — including his grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, wife, children, and siblings — all sacrificed their lives for the revolution. After liberation, the county government gathered their remains and buried them here. Below the cemetery stands a large banyan tree, beneath which lies the “Red God Temple” (also known as the “Teyashan Temple,” named for its location at the foot of Teyashan Mountain). This was the original burial site of Wei Baqun’s remains. After his martyrdom, the enemy took his head for public display and burned his body. The locals secretly collected his unburned bones and buried them under this banyan tree. To avoid detection by the enemy, they built a small temple over the grave, naming it the “Red God Temple.” Since then, on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, locals have spontaneously come to the temple to burn incense and pay tribute, mourning the heroic spirit.

In 1951, the Donglan County People’s Committee established the “Wei Baqun Martyrs Park” at the National Middle School (now within the campus of Donglan Middle School), relocating Wei Baqun’s remains from the Red God Temple to be buried in the park. On April 18, 1956, the Donglan County People’s Committee decided to rebuild the “Wei Baqun Martyrs Park” on Gengnao Slope west of the city, with the Central People’s Government allocating 200,000 yuan for the project. After the construction was completed in December 1957, Wei Baqun’s remains were once again relocated and laid to rest with great ceremony on Gengnao Slope, so that future generations could remember, honor, and learn from him.

Although Wei Baqun’s remains have left the land where he was born and raised, every year during the Qingming Festival, local residents still follow the tradition of visiting the Red God Temple to burn incense and pay tribute to the martyr, expressing boundless sorrow and remembrance.

In 2007, the Donglan County Government renovated the former residence of Wei Baqun and built supporting infrastructure such as a management office, restrooms, and a parking lot within the scenic area. In 2009, to coincide with the commemoration of the 115th anniversary of Wei Baqun’s birth, the Donglan County Government decided to invest 2.24 million yuan in the protective maintenance of the former residence. In May of the same year, the renovation project, designed by the “Guangxi Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute” and carried out by the “Nanning Cultural Relics and Historic Sites Maintenance Team,” officially began and was completed by the end of September. All the wood materials used in the renovation were imported from Malaysia at a price of 12,000 yuan per cubic meter. The “pineapple red” wood ensures that the Baqun Residence can withstand wind and rain for years to come, allowing future generations to forever remember the great achievements of the martyr.