Red Army Stele Forest

Red Army Stele Forest

The Red Army Stele Forest is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism site.

In order to defeat the enemy’s “Sichuan-Shaanxi Encirclement and Suppression” campaign, create favorable conditions to expand the revolutionary base areas in western Sichuan and southern Gansu, rendezvous with the Central Red Army on its northward march, and ensure close coordination between the two main forces of the Red Army, the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army, following instructions from the Party Central Committee and the Military Commission, launched an offensive to forcefully cross the Jialing River on March 28, 1935. They annihilated more than 10,000 enemy troops and captured a vast area stretching from Pingwu and Pengzhou in the north to Zitong and Zhangming in the south. On April 11 (the ninth day of the third lunar month), Pingwu County was liberated. On the 15th, the Pingwu County Soviet Government was established. Subsequently, two county-level Soviets (Pingwu and Pingnan), one district Soviet, 19 township Soviets, and 97 village Soviets were set up. Propaganda and mobilization efforts were carried out to fight landlords, distribute land, and support the Red Army. The Red Army sowed the seeds of revolution, and workers and peasants voluntarily joined the army and fought, leading to continuous growth of the revolutionary forces. In that year, a total of 1,156 people from Pingwu joined the Long March of the Red Army, including: 65 members of county, township, and village Soviet committees or above, 242 guerrilla fighters, 99 Young Pioneers, 63 Young Pioneer League members, 10 women's team members, 438 direct participants, and 239 participants in the Long March support and transport teams. In addition, 1,093 people joined various Red Army organizations but did not take part in the Long March. The majority of those from Pingwu who joined the Red Army sacrificed their lives during the Long March. Only 39 completed the journey, among whom 6 retired in their later years and 3 passed away after returning home due to illness. Their heroic names are forever recorded in the annals of Pingwu’s history.

The Red Army stayed in Pingwu for 56 days and completely withdrew westward on June 5. After their departure, puppet regime leaders returned and carried out brutal reprisals against Red Army soldiers, Soviet officials, and guerrilla fighters who remained behind for local work. A total of 527 Red Army soldiers, Soviet officials, and guerrilla fighters were killed by returning reactionary militias in the county. Among them were 62 Soviet chairpersons, 19 land committee members, 11 clerks, 103 women's, internal affairs, and economic committee members, 16 guerrilla company commanders, 141 guerrilla fighters, 76 Red Army soldiers stationed for local work, and 99 family members and relatives of officials.

The atrocities committed by the reactionary militias in killing Red Army soldiers, Soviet officials, and revolutionary masses are too numerous to record.

The revolutionaries died as martyrs gloriously, and their noble spirit will live on forever.

In the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet Area Generals' Stele Forest, individual memorial steles have been erected for three Red Army soldiers; a commemorative stele bearing the names of 353 Red Army soldiers and martyrs has also been engraved as an eternal tribute.