Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall

Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall

The Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall is a classic red tourism destination and a patriotic education base.

At 10:00 a.m. on September 26, 2009, the Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall was grandly opened in Tucheng, a famous historical and cultural town in China. Leaders from the Guizhou Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and the Department of Civil Affairs, as well as the four leading teams of Xishui County, attended the opening ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Zeng Yu, the then County Magistrate of Xishui. Luo Yongfu, Vice Chairman of the Xishui County CPPCC and Director of the Four Crossings of the Chishui Campaign Memorial Hall, introduced the construction of the Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall. Li Ling, Secretary of the Xishui County Party Committee, delivered an important speech. Finally, leaders from the provincial cultural relics and civil affairs departments also gave speeches. The ceremony also read out congratulatory letters from General Xu Haidong’s daughter, Ms. Xu Wenhu—daughter of female Red Army soldier Zhou Dongping—and China Red Tourism Network. The Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall was honored with the title of “Top Ten Chinese Red Tourism Attractions of 2009.”

Tucheng was the main battlefield of the Red Army’s Long March during the Four Crossings of the Chishui Campaign, boasting a profound legacy of revolutionary culture. It now houses multiple national cultural heritage sites, including the Four Crossings of the Chishui Campaign Memorial Hall, the former site of the Red Army General Staff Headquarters, and Mao Zedong’s former residence. On the old street of Tucheng, there is a Women Red Army Street where female soldiers stayed during the Long March. Female Red Army soldiers were a unique group during the Long March. Under extremely harsh conditions, they overcame unimaginable hardships and completed the epic 25,000-li journey, leaving behind many moving and heroic stories.

To carry forward the spirit of the women Red Army soldiers and explore Tucheng’s red culture, the Xishui County Party Committee and government decided to build the Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall in the ancient town of Tucheng. The memorial hall is located at the former site of the Red Third Army Corps Headquarters, covering an area of 210 square meters. The exhibition outline was written by Jiang Shan, a senior journalist from Xinhua News Agency and Editor-in-Chief of China Red Tourism Network. The exhibition design was created by Zheng Wensheng, a senior artist from Tsinghua University’s Arts and Crafts Department. The exhibition is divided into two parts, introducing the deeds of 32 female Red Army soldiers from the First Front Army, as well as those from the Second, Fourth Front Armies, and the 25th Army. The hall showcases the stories of 45 of the most representative female Red Army soldiers, including 30 from the First Front Army: Cai Chang, He Zizhen, Kang Keqing, Li Jianzhen, Liu Ying, Li Bozhao, Liu Qunxian, Deng Liujin, Wei Xiuying, Xie Fei, Yang Houzhen, Wu Fulian, Liao Siguang, Wu Zhonglian, Zhou Yuehua, Zhong Yuelin, Qian Xijun, Jin Weiyi, Liu Caixiang, Wei Gongzhi, Gan Tang, Xiao Yuehua, Zeng Yu, Li Jianhua, Wang Quan Yuan, Qiu Yihan, Chen Huiqing, Li Guiying, and Xie Xiaomei. Five are from the Second Front Army (2nd and 6th Corps): Li Zhen, Chen Congying, Jian Xianren, Jian Xianfo, and Ma Yixiang. Eight are from the Fourth Front Army: Zhang Qinqiu, Wang Ronghua, Lin Yueqin, Wang Dingguo, Chen Zhenren, Zhang Wen, He Lianzhi, and Jia Defu. Two are from the 25th Army: Zhou Dongping and Dai Juemin. In front of the Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall stands a more than three-meter-tall sculpture titled “Blood-Stained Angel.” The entire sculpture depicts a female Red Army soldier in a half-kneeling posture, cradling a baby in her arms, vividly embodying the compassionate motherhood and indomitable fighting spirit of the women Red Army.

The “Blood-Stained Angel” stands firmly in front of the Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall, forming a breathtaking and moving sight. “The revolutionary ideal is higher than the sky.” The Chinese Women Red Army Memorial Hall uses a wealth of photos, texts, and artifacts to showcase the loyalty, integrity, and deep patriotism of the women Red Army, highlighting their great personal strength and spirit of sacrifice. It depicts the touching stories of how these women poured their blood and sweat along the 25,000-li Long March and dedicated their lives to the liberation of the Chinese nation. Within the magnificent and unprecedented tide of the Red Army’s Long March, the women Red Army demonstrated heroic feats that will be forever remembered. They embodied the spirit of pursuing independence and freedom, the fearless and resolute revolutionary spirit, the mutual aid and unity of the working class, and the selfless communist spirit of putting others before themselves. The Long March spirit of these women Red Army soldiers will forever move the hearts of all, inspire future generations of revolutionaries to persevere, overcome all obstacles, and strive for final victory. It serves as an inexhaustible source of spiritual nourishment for us all.

Attraction Location

Tuanjie Street, Tucheng Town, Xishui County, Guizhou Province