Former Site of the Political Department of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps

Former Site of the Political Department of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps

The Former Site of the Political Department of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps is a cultural tourism attraction and a classic red tourism destination.

Former Site of the Political Department of the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps

In February 1936, the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps arrived in Bijie during the Long March, establishing the Qian-Da-Bi Revolutionary Base Area and carrying out a series of revolutionary activities. The Political Department of the Sixth Red Army Corps was located at No. 12 Zhongshan Road in downtown Bijie, in the former site of the Zion Church. Leaders such as Xia Xi, head of the Political Department, and the political commissar, worked here.

The establishment of the Qian-Da-Bi Soviet Area provided the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps with time to rest and regroup after their long march, allowing them to replenish supplies. The Corps leadership used this period to intensify military training and actively promote the idea that the Red Army fought for the "impoverished people," vigorously carrying out recruitment efforts. People such as Yin Huancheng and Tao Qinglong from Bijie, and Zhang Haiqing from Dafang, were inspired by the Red Army’s message and resolutely joined the army. During this time, over 5,000 outstanding individuals from Bijie joined the Red Army to march northward in the War of Resistance against Japan. This marked the most successful phase of the "recruitment drive" during the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps’ Long March.

During their stay in Bijie, the Red Army led the local poor in struggles such as overthrowing landlords and redistributing land. They publicly exposed the names of local tyrants, the land and wealth they controlled, and the crimes they committed in oppressing and exploiting the people. The Red Army helped disarm the landlords, opened their grain storehouses, and distributed food, clothing, cured meat, and other supplies to the impoverished population, winning widespread support. The Red Army planted the seeds of revolution in Bijie, a period many Red Army leaders later referred to as the “Golden Age” of the Long March.

In 1985, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the victory of the Long March by the Second and Sixth Red Army Corps, the site of the former Political Department of the Sixth Red Army Corps underwent major renovations while preserving its original appearance. General Xiao Ke personally inscribed the nameplate “Former Site of the Political Department of the Sixth Corps of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.” It now serves as the historical relics exhibition room of the Bijie Regional Museum. In 1987, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit by the People's Government of Guizhou Province.