Anchang Ancient Town

Anchang Ancient Town

Anchang Ancient Town is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Anchang Ancient Town is located at the confluence of the Songlin River and the Dadu River, 11 km northwest of Shimian County. It is a provincial-level historical and cultural town, as well as a national and provincial cultural heritage site, known as "the tragic site of the Yi King and the victorious battlefield of the Red Army." Originally named "Zidadi," it is a multi-ethnic township inhabited by the Yi, Tibetan, and Han peoples, featuring the passionate culture of the Yi people and the bold and heroic spirit of the Tibetan people. Two significant historical events with far-reaching impact took place here in modern Chinese history: In May 1863, the Taiping Rebellion's Yi King Shi Dakai suffered a total defeat with his army here; in May 1935, the Red Army achieved victory by fording the Dadu River here, shattering Chiang Kai-shek’s scheme to make Mao Zedong “the second Shi Dakai.” Since then, the town has gained international fame as "the tragic site of the Yi King and the victorious battlefield of the Red Army."

In 1863, Shi Dakai, the Yi King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, led tens of thousands of troops to Anchang Ancient Town with the intention of crossing the Dadu River to march north. Due to the rainy season causing the river to swell, coupled with the encirclement and pursuit by Qing troops and local Tusi forces, the Taiping army ran out of ammunition and food. To save the rest of his troops, the Yi King ordered his five wives and two young children to jump into the river and commit suicide. He himself surrendered to the Qing army with his 5-year-old son Shi Dingzhong and chief minister Zeng Shihuo, and was later taken to Chengdu and executed. His soldiers were all massacred by the Qing government along the Songlin River in Anchang and at Dashubao in Han源. Today, sites of the Taiping army's camps can still be found in Anchang.

In 1935, during the Long March, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army arrived in Anchang. Chiang Kai-shek claimed he would make the Red Army "the second Shi Dakai" and deployed heavy forces to encircle and pursue them. Under the command of - and Nie Rongzhen, 17 brave soldiers successfully crossed the Dadu River. The troops then split into two groups, advanced upstream along the Dadu River toward Luding County, and successfully captured the Luding Bridge, completely thwarting Chiang Kai-shek’s plan. Vestiges from that time still remain in Anchang, including the Red Army Command Building, the Shuidongmen Gun Emplacement, and the Red Army Crossing Site. On May 25, 1983, the Monument to the Crossing of the Dadu River by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was unveiled at the original crossing point north of the town. The monument stands 6.26 meters tall and is carved from gray granite. The front features a half-relief bust of a Red Army soldier, beneath which is a bas-relief depicting the 17 brave soldiers rowing a distinctive local pole-bowed wooden boat through the turbulent waters. On the right side is a relief of a giant hand gripping a broadsword. The back of the monument bears 14 gold-plated Chinese characters written by Comrade -, reading "Monument to the Crossing of the Dadu River by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army." The monument is majestic and deeply moving. In 1996, Anchang was officially designated as a Sichuan Provincial Patriotic Education Base and a National Patriotic Education Base for Hundreds of Schools. In May 2004, the Museum of the Red Army's Crossing of the Dadu River, with an inscription personally penned by -, was completed. Located north of Anchang and within the planned Historic Site Park along with the monument, the museum houses over 200 precious cultural relics.