Li Zongren's Troop Garrisons Site

Li Zongren's Troop Garrisons Site

Li Zongren's Troop Garrisons Site is a cultural tourism attraction.

Li Zongren's Troop Garrisons Site

Flipping through the history of the Republic of China, there is one figure who cannot be overlooked — the then rising star and leader of the Guangxi Clique, Li Zongren, who later served as the Acting President of the Republic. Li Zongren had an inseparable bond with Xingye. To this day, the ruins of his former troop garrisons can still be found on Lufeng Mountain in Chenghuang Town, Xingye County, and local folklore continues to circulate about his legendary tales such as “The Heavenly Canopy Catches Fire on New Year’s Day” and “Three Rapid Promotions.”

Lufeng Mountain is situated approximately 1 kilometer east of Chenghuang Town, Xingye County. It consists of over twenty small, exquisite peaks. Some resemble the proud rooster of Mount Lu, others a sleeping bear, a seated Guanyin, or even a lotus carved by a lathe — all uniquely charming. Though not particularly high, the mountain lies backed by the vast and rugged Liuwandashan Mountain Range, faces the densely populated towns and villages, and has a major thoroughfare running across its base. Its strategic location allows for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. For these reasons, in the early 1920s, Li Zongren chose this site to station his troops.

We climbed stone steps, passed through bamboo groves, crossed stone gates, and traversed small bridges, turning this way and that, panting all the way, before finally reaching the troop garrisons site. The site consists of two valleys — one large and one small. The larger is called Jiangjiezhai, and the smaller, Heqishandu. The two valleys are separated by Furong Peak and both lie halfway up the mountain.

Heqishandu, located beneath Echoing Peak, is a small valley. Aside from two stone walls at the front and back blocking the entrance, with only one gate leading inside, there isn’t much else of note. In contrast, Jiangjiezhai is situated at a higher elevation. Only upon close inspection here does one truly appreciate the brilliance of Li Zongren’s choice for stationing troops.

The entire Jiangjiezhai valley is flat, spanning about 20 acres, and is surrounded by four peaks: Furong Peak, Lotus Peak, Immortal Peak, and Jinxiu Peak, forming a stronghold as solid as an iron barrel. Although there are several passes between the four peaks, only the western and northern ones actually lead outside the mountain, both guarded by sentry posts and fortresses. The southern pass is sealed off by stone walls, with only a fortress stationed there. The pass between the eastern Lotus Peak and Furong Peak is blocked by earthen-stone walls, also with just a fortress, and connected to Heqishandu in the east by a narrow stone stairway wide enough for only one person. From the remnants of the stone walls, it is evident that the barriers and fortresses at the passes were built with stones and lime concrete. At the western pass, the sentry gate and parts of the wall remain intact, with bullet holes from the gunports still visible. Near the northern sentry post, there is a natural spring known as Diancixian Spring Pool, with crystal-clear water that never dries up year-round, serving as drinking water for those in the mountains. Standing amidst the broken walls of these ancient fortresses and peering out, one can’t help but feel a sense of perilous dread. Outside the stone walls are mostly steep cliffs and precipices — especially at the northern pass, where the fortress sits atop a sheer drop. To reach this pass, one must traverse an ancient plank path consisting of over 120 stone steps, a truly treacherous “line of heaven.” Moreover, climbing up this “line of heaven,” one must first squeeze through a natural stone gate so low that one must bend to pass — truly “only one path up Mount Hua since ancient times!”

The valley inside the stronghold is covered with sweet bamboo, Bauhinia flowers, assorted trees, and wild grass. Amidst the bamboo and trees, the remnants of stone walls are visible — rows of barracks, clearly distinguishable and neatly aligned, unmistakably the soldiers’ quarters of the time. On the eastern side of the stronghold, there are several makeshift huts constructed from bamboo, wood, straw, and mud, obviously built by the scenic area management on the old stone foundations to give visitors a sense of the past military barracks. On the southern side of the stronghold lies a large rock, less than 2 meters high but about 2 square meters wide, called the “General Pointing Platform.” It is believed to be the spot where Li Zongren once stood, directing his troops and assigning commands.

On an early autumn morning, though not alone, standing in this empty valley watching the thin mist drift with the wind, the broken walls emerging and fading within the fog, listening to the occasional chirps of birds and strange calls of geckos, one can’t help but feel a sense of mystery and unease while imagining the hustle and bustle that once filled the place when it was teeming with soldiers.

Climbing to the main peak behind Jiangjiezhai — Lotus Summit — and letting the mountain wind billow your clothes, you can gaze into the distance to see the endless sea of forests and rolling pine waves in the Liuwandashan Mountains to the east and south. To the west and north are scattered villages, high-rises, factories, crisscrossing roads. Though the valley no longer echoes with the sounds of horses, cannons, or battle cries, the bustling traffic on the roads below, the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs in the villages, and the wisps of white smoke rising from factory chimneys present a lively and prosperous scene. I imagine that this serene and thriving landscape before our eyes might very well have been the vision Li Zongren pursued when he chose to stay here during a low point, hoping to make a comeback.

The reason Li Zongren’s troop garrisons site is also called Jiangjiezhai is that before Li Zongren arrived, the mountain was occupied by a female bandit leader named Jiangjie, who ruled the area for years. When Li Zongren’s forces arrived, they defeated her and took over the stronghold for rest and recuperation. Thanks to Li Zongren’s troops’ success in suppressing bandits and their strict military discipline, which helped maintain local peace, they earned the welcome of local elites and residents. It was also with the support of these wealthy locals that Li Zongren overcame the difficulties following his defeat in the Guangdong-Guangxi War. He expanded his forces here, laying the foundation for future development. Although Li Zongren was stationed in the mountains, to facilitate command and fundraising from local gentry, he set up command posts both on the mountain and in Chenghuang’s Daxicun Village at the Liang Clan Ancestral Hall. On the first day of the Lunar New Year in the ninth year of the Republic of China (1920), Li Zongren celebrated the New Year with his soldiers at the Liang Clan Ancestral Hall. Local gentry brought wine, meat, and firecrackers to honor the troops. The ancestral hall was a grand building with a covered courtyard skywell. As celebrants set off firecrackers, a spark accidentally ignited the awning, burning a large hole in its center. Though quickly extinguished, the incident left a gaping scorch mark. Sunlight streaming in made the courtyard appear even brighter. Many saw this as an ominous sign, but only the army’s expert in the supernatural, Senior Medic Li Qingting, congratulated Li Zongren. When asked why, the medic explained that, based on decades of experience, this was actually an incredibly auspicious omen — a hole in the awning allowing sunlight to shine through symbolized heavenly blessing. Had the fire caused disaster, it would have been bad, but fire without harm meant illumination reaching the heavens, a great fortune, especially occurring on New Year’s Day. This became known as the legend of “The Heavenly Canopy Catches Fire on New Year’s Day.” The story of “Three Rapid Promotions” took place in Yulin City. At the time, Li Zongren was stationed in Chenghuang but frequently traveled to Yulin to report official duties. One day, after finishing business in Yulin, he went shopping with several senior officers and visited an astrologer surnamed Cui. After the other six or seven men had their fortunes told, Cui kept glancing at Li Zongren and offered to read his as well. Though Li initially declined, citing his low rank and disbelief in such things, the free reading and encouragement from his peers eventually convinced him. After examining him, Cui said Li’s fortune was better than his companions’. Li protested, saying he held the lowest rank. The astrologer replied that according to his facial features, Li would be promoted three ranks the next year. When asked what that meant, the reply was: “A bright future with boundless prospects.” Li didn’t think much of it at the time, but soon after, the Guangdong-Guangxi War resumed. Within a year, Li was promoted from company commander to battalion commander, then to brigade commander, and finally to commander of the Border Defense Forces — exactly three rapid promotions.

Though these stories are steeped in superstition, they were not seen as strange at the time. Given their curious alignment with Li Zongren’s subsequent rise in fortune, they have endured in local folklore.

In fact, Li Zongren’s two stays in Chenghuang — especially the last — came at a critical juncture in determining his fate.

With guidance, strategy, and financial support from Xingye’s gentry, he overcame his difficulties and laid a solid foundation. In that sense, Xingye became the birthplace of the New Guangxi Clique. It is no exaggeration to say Li Zongren “received the blessings of heaven and earth and rose three ranks in Chenghuang.”

Li Zongren (1891–1969), of Han ethnicity, was born in Lingui, Guangxi. His courtesy name was Delin. He was the head of the Nanning Branch of Whampoa Military Academy, a high-ranking Nationalist general, military strategist, famous anti-Japanese commander, and patriot. He served as Vice President and Acting President of the Republic of China. In 1965 (at age 74), he returned to mainland China from the United States. He passed away in Beijing in 1969.

Li Zongren and Bai Chongxi were known as “Li-Bai.” The two were the core of the Guangxi Clique — the most powerful regional military faction within the Nationalist Party — and had been close collaborators for many years. They had joined Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary movement in Guangzhou together... More information on Li Zongren ++