Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Zunyi

Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Zunyi

The Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Zunyi is a classic red tourism attraction.

When the Central Red Army passed through Zunyi during the Long March and while the Zunyi Conference was being held, Mao Zedong, Zhang Wentian, and Wang Jiaxiang stayed at No. 19, Gushi Lane, New Town of Zunyi. Gushi Lane, also known as Mujiamiao, was renamed Zhongshan North Road Lane 1 after the liberation. The house where Mao and others once lived was originally the private official residence of Yi Shaoquan (courtesy name Huai zhi), a brigade commander of the Guizhou Army (who also belonged to the Sichuan–Southern Border Defense Army).

The house faces south and north, is a one-story building with an attic built with brick and wood, and its layout is largely similar to that of the Zunyi Conference site. Adjacent to the lane, the building has a memorial archway and is surrounded by high walls. It backs onto Taoyuan Mountain, a scenic site in Zunyi, and stands among rows of densely packed buildings. The building is surrounded by corridors on all sides, upstairs and downstairs, with windows featuring double-sash splayed casements inlaid with colorful triangular stained glass. The corridor ceilings are decorated with various floral patterns. From the corridor on the second floor, one can overlook the bustling Dingtoukou Street and the lush hills of Honghuagang. Mao stayed in the front left room upstairs. The room contained a yellowish-brown copper bed with a coarse white cloth mattress, covered with a white cotton quilt and a pillow made of a cloth wrap, along with a horse blanket. Next to the bed was a tea table with a German Siemens leather handbag telephone. On the red-lacquered nine-curved table beneath the window were a hurricane lamp, a copper ink box, a three-pound thermos flask, and a white enamel mug. A porcelain pen holder held Black Rooster brand black pencils with white shafts and German-made hexagonal blue pencils. The table also had letterheads and envelopes from the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Chinese Soviet Republic. In one corner of the room stood a pair of iron document trunks. There were also two finely carved rosewood armchairs and a tea table. Zhang Wentian stayed in the front left room downstairs. Wang Jiaxiang stayed in the front right room upstairs. The furnishings in the rooms of these two comrades were largely the same as those in Mao’s room. The remaining rooms upstairs and downstairs were used by Party Central Committee cadres and guards.

Mao Zedong, Zhang Wentian, and Wang Jiaxiang lived here for about 10 days (from January 9 to 19, 1935), making it one of the longer stops during their Long March journey. In addition to attending the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee (the Zunyi Conference), Mao and Zhang also participated in a meeting of Red Army cadres held in the Catholic church, where they gave speeches. On January 12, Mao also attended a mass rally held on the playground of the Third Provincial Middle School of Guizhou in the old city, delivering an inspiring speech. Wang Jiaxiang, due to severe injuries and limited mobility, did not take part in more activities.

Mao’s living quarters were restored and opened to the public in 1964. The rooms of Zhang Wentian and Wang Jiaxiang were not restored and opened until after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee in 1978. In December 1983, with approval from the National Cultural Relics Bureau, the residences of Mao and others during the Zunyi Conference were included as part of the Zunyi Conference Site, which is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), courtesy name Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, later changed to Runzhi), pen name Ziren. From Xiangtan, Hunan. He was the leader of the Chinese people, a Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, the main founder and leader of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the People's Republic of China, as well as a poet and calligrapher. From 1949 to 1976, Mao served as the paramount leader of the People's Republic of China. He contributed to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and... More details about Mao Zedong++