Goulou Dam

Goulou Dam

Goulou Dam is a classic red tourism destination.

Goulou Dam —— Battle Site of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Border Area Guerrilla Column Capturing the County Town of Junlian

The battle site of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Border Area Guerrilla Column capturing the county town of Junlian is mainly concentrated along the advance route in Goulou Dam and the county town of Junlian. Goulou Dam is located in Shimen Village, Junlian Town, Junlian County, 12.5 kilometers from the county town, with the Tang Dynasty “Shimen Road” passing through the area. At the junction of Goulou Dam and Xunsi Dam, there is a gate tower called Yinbao Pass, built in the eighth year of the Xianfeng reign during the Qing Dynasty (1869).

In February 1935, when the Central Red Army gathered in Zhaxi, it was decided to establish the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Sichuan–South Guerrilla Column to tie down and strike the enemy in the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou border area and coordinate with the strategic transfer of the Central Red Army. In July of the same year, it merged with the Northern Guizhou Guerrilla Unit to form the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Border Area Guerrilla Column (later referred to as the Column). In August of the same year, the Column decided to attack the county town of Junlian. On August 29, as the Column reached the entrance of Dadongwan at Goulou Dam, it encountered the Qingfu and Junlian local militias. The enemy retreated to the high ground at Dashaba, relying on iron ore pits, and opened fierce fire on the Column. The Sixth Battalion of the Column, serving as the vanguard and led by Battalion Commander Zeng Guangsheng, defeated the enemy, then dispersed the militia at Zhonghe Inn, broke through the enemy’s three lines of defense in one go, and was the first to charge into the county town of Junlian. The following main force arrived outside the town at Tan Changwan and advanced toward Junlian via three routes: the right route went to Shagenzi at Tiantang Temple, entering the town through Nanmen Bridge (now the Armed Forces Department); the left route pursued the fleeing enemy, passing through Xiaonan Street, Songjiatuo, and Shiguancai, crossed the Dingshui River, then split into two teams: one team charged up to Tudi’ao (also known as Xian’e Baodan), taking a favorable position, while the other team drove away the Qingfu militia that had retreated to Zhenwushan, returned to Longkoukou after reaching Dache Kou, and crossed the Dingshui River; the central route charged up to Fengziyan east of the town from Tan Changwan, leaving one battalion to occupy the high ground while the main force penetrated the East Gate and struck directly at the Junlian County government office. The soldiers stormed into the government building, destroyed the main hall, smashed the hanging plaques, official sedans, and official chairs, opened the prison, and rescued over 200 innocent civilians. The Column withdrew from the urban area in the afternoon of the same day.

The county town of Junlian was the first county town captured by the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army’s Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Border Area Guerrilla Column since its establishment, and the battle shocked the entire Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou border area.