The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall

The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall

The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall is located within the Jianmenguan Scenic Area in Jiange County, Guangyuan City, Sichuan Province. It was established to commemorate the Red Army’s bloody battle at Jianmenguan in 1935. The memorial hall was completed and opened to the public on December 22, 2009.

In December 2016, The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall was listed in the National Classic Red Tourism Scenic Areas directory.

Jiange County in Sichuan Province is part of the revolutionary old base area of Sichuan-Shaanxi. Jianmenguan has long been a strategic military stronghold, famed for the saying, “Take Jianmenguan, and you take Sichuan.” Before the Red Army crossed the Jialing River, revolutionary flames were already burning in the Jianmenguan Mountains. On November 25, 1932, nearly 400 guerrilla fighters from Jiange County went to the neighboring Nanbu County to join the shocking Shengzhong Uprising in Sichuan. Soon after, the guerrilla fighters were fiercely pursued by the reactionary government. After the liberation, the “Shengzhong Uprising Martyrs’ Cemetery” was built in Changling Township, Jiange County. On the eve of the Red Army’s river crossing in 1935, the “January 9th Mutiny” took place. This mutiny split two battalions of Sichuan Army troops, greatly shaking the morale of the enemy forces along the river and laying the foundation for the Red Army’s forced crossing of the Jialing River.

After the Fourth Red Army forcibly crossed the Jialing River, Deputy Commander Wang Shusheng led his troops to encircle the Jianmenguan defenders from the east, west, and south. On April 2, 1935, from dawn until dusk, through a bloody battle in the rain, they annihilated three enemy regiments. Yang Zhaoyun, commander of the main enemy regiment, fell to his death off Yingpanzui. The Jianmenguan Pass, which had never fallen in hundreds of battles throughout history, was now conquered by the brave Red Army. The entire battle resulted in the elimination of over 3,000 enemies. Even to this day, surviving veterans who fought at Jianmenguan can still sing some of the ditties from that time: “Wind, rain and thunder flash, the Red Army conquers Jianmenguan. All warlords crumble like mountains, as I send the Red Army out of Sichuan.” These simple words reflect the deep bond between the Red Army soldiers and the people of Jiange.

After the Red Army conquered Jianmenguan, the famous “Jiange Conference” was held in Pu’an. Within a month of arriving in Jiange, the Fourth Red Army established three county-level Soviet governments and set up temporary military and political institutions such as political departments and command headquarters in Ximiao and Xiuzhong, launching fervent revolutionary struggles among the masses.

The Fourth Red Army successfully captured the northern Sichuan military stronghold of Jianmenguan, undermining enemy defenses and achieving brilliant results. The Battle of Jianmenguan created a miracle in military history and is one of the Fourth Red Army’s renowned campaigns.

Jiange County houses abundant Red Army relics, including trenches and stone inscriptions left behind during the bloody battle at Jianmenguan, all well-preserved. The site of the Red Army’s battle at Jianmenguan is recognized as a National Patriotic Education Base and one of the hundred classic red tourism scenic spots.

To further promote and inherit the spirit of the Red Army, excavate red culture, and aid post-disaster reconstruction, Jiange County raised over 6 million yuan through multiple channels and launched the construction of the Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Monument and Memorial Hall in July 2008. On December 22, 2009, the Red Star Plaza was completed, featuring the Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Monument, the Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall, statues of marshals, and stone inscriptions.

Introduction to the Memorial Hall

The memorial hall is a rectangular building measuring 26 meters in length and 8 meters in width, divided into a multimedia room, an atrium, and exhibition halls. It utilizes modern technologies such as light, sound, and electricity to showcase the combat history of the Fourth Red Army’s bloody battle at Jianmenguan.

On the right side of the memorial hall’s entrance stands an artistic wall depicting the great victory in the Battle of Jianmenguan, in front of which is displayed the Long March route map of the Fourth Red Army.

The walls of the Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall depict the Seventy-Two Peaks of Jianmenguan and its towering cliffs, while the underground features a sunken sand table.

The memorial hall is divided into two parts. The first section mainly showcases the revolutionary struggles that took place in Jiange and the related revolutionary relics left by the Red Army. The second part allows visitors to observe the battle scenes of the Red Army’s conquest of Jianmenguan. The hall employs advanced international technologies such as glass screen back-projection and multi-screen projection fusion, using multimedia to vividly simulate the historical scenes of the Red Army’s bloody fight at Jianmenguan. On April 2, 1935, at the majestic Jianmenguan Pass, brave Red Army soldiers pressed forward one after another, planting the red army flag on the towering pass with their blood and lives.

Nearby Attractions

The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Memorial Hall is located on Hongxing Square at Jianmenguan. In addition to the memorial hall, the square also features the Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Monument, statues of marshals, and stone inscriptions.

The bronze statues on the square depict Xu Xiangqian, the overall commander of the Battle of Jianmenguan, and Wang Shusheng, the deputy commander.

The Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Monument is tetrahedral in shape, 19.35 meters tall, with a 4.2-meter-high base. The main front of the monument bears an inscription by Marshal Xu Xiangqian: “Red Army's Conquest of Jianmenguan Monument.” Beneath the inscription is a group of highly realistic, spirited bronze sculptures of Red Army soldiers. The base is inlaid with eight bas-reliefs depicting the major battles and political construction efforts of the Red Army in the Jianmenguan Mountains. Below these reliefs are the names of more than 1,200 Red Army martyrs who sacrificed their lives to establish the Jiange Soviet Area.

Next to the memorial hall lies the tomb of Commissar Bao. Commissar Bao (?-1935), then the political commissar of the 2nd Battalion, 274th Regiment, 91st Division, 31st Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army 4th Front Army, heroically died in battle alongside his signalman during the bloody fight at Jianmenguan on April 2, 1935, and the two are buried together here. The original grave was just a simple earthen mound. In September 2010, Jiange County rebuilt and renovated it into its current form. Commissar Bao did not leave a complete name behind, was only about 18 years old when he died, and even the surname or origin of the signalman remains unknown.

With the opening of the memorial hall, it will serve as a base for revolutionary tradition education, better inspiring the people of Jiange to carry forward the spirit of the Red Army and build a beautiful homeland.