Former Residence of Zhao Shiyan

Former Residence of Zhao Shiyan

The Former Residence of Zhao Shiyan is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a classic red tourism destination, and a patriotic education base.

Era: Qing Dynasty

Type: Historical Site

Region: Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Chongqing

Batch: Fifth Batch

The former residence of Comrade Zhao Shiyan is located in Zhaozhuang Community, Longtan Town, Youyang County, about 36 kilometers from the county seat. The building was built in 1902, faces south with its back to the north, and has a compound layout with multiple courtyards. It includes 32 tiled houses, covering a land area of 1,605 square meters and a construction area of 721 square meters, with a brick-and-wood structure. The entrance gate faces east and bears a gilded plaque inscribed with “Former Residence of Comrade Zhao Shiyan,” written by Deng Xiaoping. The main house features a wooden post-and-lintel frame with seven bays supported by seven columns, a flush-gable roof covered with small blue tiles, and fireproofing elements. It is 21.41 meters wide and 12.02 meters deep, with an overall height of 7.8 meters and eaves 4.4 meters high. The eastern two rooms were Zhao Shiyan’s bedroom, and his study was located along the southern wall. This building was the home of the great proletarian revolutionary, outstanding Marxist theorist, and renowned leader of the labor movement, Comrade Zhao Shiyan. In 1904, Zhao Shiyan moved here with his family, and in 1915 he left Longtan to study in Beijing, spending his entire childhood and adolescence in this residence. It was designated as a county-level cultural relics protection unit in 1982, a provincial-level one in 2000, and a national-level one in 2001.

To the south of the residence lies a memorial square covering an area of 980 square meters, where stands a statue of the revolutionary martyr Zhao Shiyan, inscribed with words by Deng Xiaoping. To the south of the statue is an exhibition hall with a construction area of 200 square meters, displaying photos of Zhao Shiyan’s life activities, manuscripts, documents, and relics donated by comrades Li Peng and Zhu Lin, including items belonging to Comrade Zhao Juntao.

The former residence serves as an important site for patriotic and revolutionary tradition education for the general public, holding significant commemorative value.

The Zhao Shiyan Martyrs Memorial Hall is located in Longtan Town, Youyang Autonomous County, covering a total area of 11,800 square meters. It mainly consists of the Zhao Shiyan Martyrs Exhibition Hall, the Former Residence of Comrade Zhao Shiyan, the Memorial Square, and the Visitor Reception Center. The memorial hall uses cultural relics, historical photos, and textual materials as its core, presenting the revolutionary journey of Zhao Shiyan through five chronological periods. It also showcases the advanced revolutionary deeds of other key members of the Zhao family—sisters Zhao Shilan and Zhao Juntao, and the revolutionary mother Xia Nainai (Huang Youmei).

The Zhao Shiyan Martyrs Memorial Hall is a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base, and a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Zhao Shiyan (1901–1927), courtesy name QINSHENG, art name Guofu, and pen names Shiying, Qinsun, Liefu, Luojing, Leshe, Shiyin, Shiyan, Yan, Yan, Le, etc., was a native of Youyang Autonomous County, Chongqing. He was an outstanding early proletarian revolutionary of the Communist Party of China, a Marxist theorist and propagandist, and a renowned leader of the labor movement.

Zhao Shiyan, courtesy name QINSHENG, art name Guofu, and pen name Shiying, was born on April 13, 1901, in Longtan Town, Youyang, Sichuan.

He attended private school at the age of four, studying under Chen Deyuan, who graduated from Hiroshima Hongwen Normal School, and Li Yukun, a top student from Sichuan University... More details about Zhao Shiyan++

Longtan Town: Located in the heart of the Wuling Mountain area in southeastern Chongqing, Longtan Town covers an area of 1.5 square kilometers. The town got its name because two water caves shaped like “dragon eyes” under Mount Fulong often accumulate water into pools, and the ancient town...

...passes between the “dragon eyes,” resembling a “dragon’s nose,” hence the name. Since the Shu Han period, Longtan has successively served as the location for offices such as “county assistant,” “patrol inspector,” “state associate,” and “county adjunct”—equivalent to deputy or branch positions of a state or county—and boasts a history of over 1,700 years. The unique policies of the native chieftain system from the Song to the Qing dynasties, which lasted over 600 years and enforced the principle of “no Han entering native areas, no natives leaving their territory,” have shaped the distinctive character of this millennia-old town... More details about Longtan Town++

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level