Wang Jia Lie Residence

Wang Jia Lie Residence

Wang Jia Lie Residence

Wang Jia Lie, courtesy name Shaowu, was born in Xiaoshui, Tongzi, on the 27th day of the fifth lunar month in 1893. He graduated from Tongzi Higher Primary School in 1911 but had to drop out due to poverty. He once made a living carrying salt between Songkan and Zunyi. In 1912, he went to Zunyi and taught at a private school within the Zunyi county area.

In August 1914, Wang Jia Lie enlisted in Zunyi and was assigned to the Guizhou Provincial Defense National Army, later renamed the Guizhou Army. He held various ranks including private, corporal, lance corporal, assistant squad leader, second lieutenant platoon leader, lieutenant platoon leader, and quartermaster. During this time, he participated in the National Protection War, fighting in eastern and southern Sichuan and “assisting in the defense of the Imperial City.” Later, he went to Hunan to take part in the war against warlords and attended the Guizhou Army Model Battalion in 1915 and the Guizhou Military Preparatory School in 1917. After returning to Guizhou in 1920, he was promoted to company commander of the 8th Company under Zhou Xicheng’s battalion. From then on, he followed Zhou Xicheng through battles in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. With his calm, straightforward, and battle-hardened character, as well as his military achievements, he became a key figure in the Tongzi faction military-political group led by Zhou Xicheng.

After 1921, as the military strength of the Tongzi faction grew, Wang’s rank also rose rapidly. In 1922, he became a battalion and then a regiment commander. In 1923, he was appointed brigade commander. In March 1926, he became the commander of the 2nd Division of the Guizhou Army. After April 1927, following Chiang Kai-shek’s order to suppress the Communists, Zhou Xicheng commanded Wang to lead his troops into Hunan, stationed in Yuanling, and later retreated to Tongren. In the spring of 1928, Wang was recommended by Zhou Xicheng, the commander-in-chief of the 9th Route Army, as the front-line commander-in-chief, stationed in Qijiang and Dongxi. In the summer, when the Sichuan conflict broke out, Wang was appointed as the front-line commander-in-chief to assist Sichuan and was ordered by Chiang Kai-shek to provide aid. In October, the Zhou Xicheng–Li Qiandong conflict erupted. As a key commander of the 25th Army on the front line, Wang led his troops in fierce battles against Li’s forces, leading to Li’s defeat while Wang himself was seriously wounded.　

In May 1929, after Zhou Xicheng was defeated and killed in the battle against Li Shen in western Guizhou, Wang Jia Lie led his troops from Tongren to Zunyi to assist Mao Guangxiang in stabilizing the situation and organizing a counterattack, enabling the Tongzi faction to regain control of Guizhou’s government. After Mao Guangxiang became the commander of the 25th Army and chairman of Guizhou Province, Wang was appointed as the deputy army commander.　

Wang, due to being “arrogant because of his achievements” and “dissatisfied with Mao Guangxiang, who was mediocre yet ranked above him,” coupled with his strength and prestige which caused suspicion and fear in Mao, gradually created a rift between them. Additionally, Chiang Kai-shek took advantage of the conflict between Mao and Wang to provoke discord, aiming to defeat them one by one, unify the southwest, and bring Guizhou’s military and political power under central control. The rift between Mao and Wang grew wider by the day. In the winter of 1929, Chiang Kai-shek appointed Wang as the “rebel suppression commander” and ordered him to advance to the Guizhou border to contain the Guangxi clique and seek opportunities for expansion. Wang quickly gained control over vast areas in eastern and southeastern Guizhou, expanding his strength and territory. In July 1930, Chiang ordered Wang to become the “Xiang-Gui Border Region Bandit Suppression Commander” and led his troops into western Hunan to “jointly suppress” the Red Army. He also received monthly military salaries from the central government and the Hunan provincial government, along with substantial “special goods protection taxes” from the opium distribution centers in upper Yuanjiang in Yunnan and Guizhou to purchase weapons. Furthermore, during the 1931 campaign to “suppress” the Red Army forces of Zhang Yunyi and Li Mingrui, Wang received a large batch of weapons as a reward from Chiang Kai-shek, which allowed him to expand his training and cadre development, greatly increasing his strength.

In November 1931, during the Fourth National Congress of the Kuomintang, Chiang Kai-shek directly nominated Wang Jia Lie as the representative of the 25th Army to attend the conference. During the meeting, Chiang specially summoned Wang, praised him highly, and rewarded him with a large number of heavy artillery and weapons, which strengthened Wang’s resolve to replace Mao Guangxiang. Wang also promised the authorities to incorporate people from all walks of life into the governance of Guizhou. At a time when Mao Guangxiang, fearing Wang’s seizure of power, had repeatedly plotted to first strip him of his military authority, Wang used this as a pretext in February 1932 to march his troops into Guiyang and pressure Mao into submission. The Chiang Kai-shek-led Nationalist Government cooperated with the move and immediately appointed Wang as the commander of the 25th Army while he was on his way to Guiyang. Mao Guangxiang, under pressure, gave up provincial administration and relinquished the position of provincial chairman under the guise of “voluntarily resting.” On February 26, Mao Guangxiang announced that Wang Jia Lie would act as the provisional provincial chairman. On March 30, the Nationalist Government officially appointed Wang as the chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Government, concurrently serving as the head of the Civil Affairs Department and a standing committee member of the Guizhou Provincial Party Department. After taking control of Guizhou’s administration, Wang, in order to consolidate his position, adopted a pro-Chiang stance on one hand, and on the other, further suppressed Mao Guangxiang to eliminate internal threats. Both actions deepened Wang’s isolation within the Tongzi faction and intensified internal conflicts. Mao Guangxiang then left Guiyang and went into hiding in Zunyi, joining forces with Jiang Zhenzhen, You Guocai, and Che Mingyi, accusing Wang of “betraying his superiors, undermining the group, and endangering the people,” and formed an anti-Wang alliance under the banner of “opposing the new 25th Army system.” In November 1932, the internal conflict of the 25th Army began with an uprising initiated by Jiang Zhenzhen and Mao Guangxiang in Zunyi. This soon escalated into a prolonged conflict between Wang Jia Lie and You Guocai, ultimately leading to the complete collapse of the Tongzi faction and the central government’s takeover of Guizhou.　

On November 5, 1932, You Guocai launched an attack on Guiyang from Anshun. On the 24th, Wang Jia Lie was defeated and fled to Rongjiang, allowing You’s forces to enter Guiyang. On January 1, 1933, You Guocai, appointed by Chiang Kai-shek, announced his assumption of the positions of commander of the 25th Army and provisional chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Government. On January 19, Wang Jia Lie re-entered Guiyang, forcing Mao and You to flee in haste. On the 21st, Wang Jia Lie announced his reinstatement. On April 8, the Nationalist Government ordered Wang Jia Lie to resume his post and dismissed You Guocai.　

Starting in the summer of 1934, as the military operations of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army gradually extended into Hunan and Guizhou, Chiang Kai-shek planned and strictly ordered the “joint suppression” of the Red Army. After careful consideration and weighing the pros and cons, Wang Jia Lie “decided to follow Chiang Kai-shek’s orders, striving to strike the Red Army to make them leave Guizhou territory as soon as possible, while seeking opportunities to connect with Guangdong and Guangxi to preserve his strength and ensure survival.” Thus, in May, he dispatched Jiang Zhenzhen and Liao Huaizhong’s forces to Wuchuan, Yinjiang, and Yanhe to “prevent and suppress” He Long’s 3rd Red Army, using the opportunity to eliminate dissent by forcing Liao Huaizhong’s forces to flee to western Hunan. In September, he appointed Wang Tianxi as the front-line commander-in-chief and personally supervised battles in Weng’an and Yuqing, coordinating with Hunan and Guangxi to “jointly suppress” the 6th Red Army Corps, led by Ren Bishi and Xiao Ke, which had entered Guizhou. In November, following Chiang Kai-shek’s “Outline of the Hunan-Guangxi-Guizhou Joint Suppression Plan,” he appointed Huang Daobin and Xie Peisheng as acting provincial chairman and army commander, respectively, while he personally supervised the eastern front. In mid-December, the Central Red Army breached several of Wang’s defensive lines, reached the Wu River, and advanced toward northern Guizhou. Wang Jia Lie hoped the Red Army would cross the border and leave, seeking only self-preservation. However, Chiang Kai-shek’s intention to “pursue and suppress” the Red Army into Guizhou also included the hidden motive of “following in and doing more than we had planned solely for the purpose of taking Guizhou.”

The entry of the Central Red Army into Guizhou provided the perfect opportunity for the central government to extend its influence into the province and remove Wang Jia Lie. While the Guizhou Army suffered continuous defeats against the Red Army, the central forces not only failed to cooperate but instead took direct control of Guiyang on January 6, 1935, effectively seizing control of the situation in Guizhou. Wang repeatedly sent You Guocai and He Zhizhong to the front lines to fight the Red Army, hoping to reclaim northern Guizhou for future plans. However, these forces suffered heavy losses under the Red Army’s attacks, nearly losing their lives and positions, which created conditions for Chiang Kai-shek to seize power in Guizhou. In March 1935, Li Zhonggong, sent by Chiang Kai-shek, forced Wang to choose between the military or political path. Yan Daogang, representing Chiang Kai-shek, engaged in political deals with He Zhizhong and Bai Hui Zhang, two division commanders under Wang, persuading them to turn against Wang. On April 6, 1935, Wang was compelled to send a telegram resigning as provincial chairman. On April 9, Chiang appointed Wang as the commander-in-chief of the 2nd Route Pursuit and Suppression Army. Soon after, through internal and external pressures, Chiang forced Wang to resign as army commander in early May. Chiang immediately appointed Wang as a lieutenant general consultant of the Military Advisory Council and on May 3, ordered Wang to fly to Hankou with Zhang Xueliang. The entire Guizhou Army was reorganized into five central directly-controlled divisions, deployed across various regions. On January 23, 1936, Wang was awarded the rank of lieutenant general. In August 1938, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the 20th Army Corps. Later, he was transferred to serve as a senior consultant of the Military Commission. In 1942, he became an advisor in the Ministry of War. In May 1946, He Yingqin forced Wang to resign from his military position. On September 6, 1946, Wang was reinstated as a lieutenant general. In 1948, he was elected as a representative to the First National Assembly. In July 1949, Gu Zhenglin appointed Wang as the deputy director of the Guizhou Pacification Office. In mid-November, Wang returned to his hometown in Xiaoshui, Xin Station, to live in retirement.

After the liberation, government officials specially came from Xiaoshui to welcome Wang Jia Lie to Guiyang. In June 1950, he went to Chongqing to attend study sessions at the Southwest Military and Political Committee. In July, he was appointed by the Central People’s Government as a member of the Southwest Military and Political Committee. Inspired by the people’s government, Wang shifted from doubt and hesitation to supporting the leadership of the Communist Party. During the land reform, he sold his private residence, the “Humen Villa” in Guiyang, to repay the debts of exploitation he had owed to farmers in the old society. Starting in 1954, he served as a representative of the First, Second, and Third Guizhou Provincial People’s Congresses and as a member of the Provincial People’s Committee. In 1955, he was elected vice-chairman of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In 1956, he was admitted as a member of the Revolutionary Committee. In 1958, he was elected as a member of the Guizhou Provincial Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Kuomintang. Wang Jia Lie cared about Guizhou’s development and the people’s livelihood. Despite suffering from serious illness and being falsely labeled as a rightist, he offered candid criticism of the “Guiyang Incident” caused by the “Great Leap Forward,” arguing that the removal of all grain had made it impossible for farmers to focus on production, leading to edema and eventually unrest. He warned, “The countryside has been pushed too far.” Unfortunately, his well-intentioned criticisms and suggestions were met with unfair treatment under the ultra-leftist policies. At the same time, he worked diligently, drawing from his personal experiences and knowledge of Guizhou’s history to write numerous valuable historical articles for academic research. He passed away in August 1966.

Scenic Area Transportation: Take the Chongzun Expressway and get off at Xin Station, then travel approximately 8 kilometers to the seat of the Xiaoshui Township government. There are many small passenger vehicles available in Xin Station Town to reach this scenic spot.

Scenic Area Food and Accommodation: The township government seat offers some food and accommodation options. It is only 3 kilometers away from the Moon River Scenic Area.