Tongjiang Lenin Park

Tongjiang Lenin Park

Lenin Park is the only park in China named after an international revolutionary figure. Originally called "Nuojian Park," it is located in the northern part of Tongjiang County, nestled at the foot of Paotai Mountain and shaped like a giant lion lying across the banks of the Nuoshui River. The park features pavilions and towers in succession, with ancient trees towering overhead.

Lenin Park was originally built in the early years of the Republic of China by Liu Ji, a camp commander stationed in Tongjiang. The plaque above the park gate, featuring the bold characters “Nuojian Park,” as well as the smaller characters “Nuojian Park” engraved on each brick of the gate wall, were all written by Xiang Maohou, a scholar from Taoyuan in the eastern suburbs of the county. When the park was first built, apart from preserving an ancient temple (the Zhangye Temple), it also included a lotus pond, flower stands, flower pots, grass shelters, tea houses, and a restaurant. The May 1st Village Restaurant in the park was a small two-story Western-style building. In 1932, when the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army entered Sichuan and established the Sichuan-Shaanxi Revolutionary Base Area, key leaders such as Zhang Guotao, Xu Xiangqian, and Chen Changhao often held meetings, worked, and resided here. On the mountainside, there is a tea shelter with a stone drum beside it. The drum is inscribed with an untitled ditty by Liu Ji: “Winding roads, gentle slopes, frequented by travelers passing to and fro. Lofty towers stand grand and magnificent, ancient tree shadows sway gracefully. Dust and grime are scarce, while soft breezes brush the face. Scholars and beauties sit leisurely on stone benches, holding little teapots, pouring their own drinks, composing poems under the moonlight—heedless of shepherds’ flutes on the hills or fishermen’s songs on the river. Hidden away, though not Penglai Island, it is still a peaceful haven.”

In early 1933, the Red Army expanded and renamed Nuojian Park to “Lenin Park.” It stretches from De Garden on the right, adjacent to Zizhuang Palace on the left, fronting Min Gong Bridge, and backed by Zhao Qiao Rock, covering an area of nearly one square kilometer. The park encompasses ancient structures such as the City God Temple, Confucius Temple, Zhangye Temple, and Zizhuang Palace. Temples and towers rise with upturned eaves, while mountain paths twist through secluded groves. The headquarters and political department of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army were both located within the park. Important meetings of the Red Army were frequently held at Zizhuang Palace, the Confucius Temple, and the Wuli Guild Hall in the park. The stone walls in front of the Huanhou Shrine were inscribed with slogans such as “Capture Liu Xiang Alive” and “Eliminate Liu Xiang,” the latter written in large characters by Zhu Guang, former mayor of Guangzhou, who had once worked in the political department of the Fourth Front Army. On the back side of the park atop Paotai Mountain, the Red Army installed its central radio station and constructed sturdy defensive fortifications to protect Tongjiang City, the capital of the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Area.

After the Red Army marched northward, the Nationalist government of Tongjiang County reverted the park’s name back to Nuojian Park. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was renamed Lenin Park once again. Institutions such as the county cultural center, library, cultural relics management office, and Sichuan Opera Troupe were once housed within the park.