Site of the Huangpiao Victory

Site of the Huangpiao Victory

The Site of the Huangpiao Victory is a cultural relics protection unit of Guizhou Province.

Site of the Huangpiao Victory

Huangpiao Dazhai is located in the southeast of the county, and 5 kilometers to its west on Huangpiao Dapo lies the Site of the Huangpiao Victory, which is a provincial-level cultural relics protection unit.

In the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign (1855), the Miao leader Zhang Xiumei raised an army against the Qing Dynasty in Tai Gong (now Taijiang), gaining the support of local ethnic groups. Within a few years, his forces had spread across various counties in southeastern Guizhou. In the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign (1866), after suppressing the Taiping Rebellion and the Nian Army, the Qing government mobilized troops from Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan, and Guangxi to join forces with Guizhou troops in a large-scale crackdown on the ethnic uprisings in Guizhou.

Tai Gong (Taijiang) and Kaili were strongholds of the Miao uprising forces in southeastern Guizhou, developed over many years. In early Tongzhi Year 8, Xibao Tian, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Hunan, led over 20,000 Hunan troops to simultaneously attack Tai Gong and Kaili. By then, Tang Jiong’s Sichuan troops had already entered Huangping. After capturing Zhenyuan and Qingjiang (Jianhe), Xibao Tian was eager to join forces with the Sichuan troops. He then ordered Huang Runchang, the acting Surveillance Commissioner, Deng Ziyuan, the acting intendant, and Rong Weishan, the acting Governor-General, along with 18,000 Hunan troops, to advance westward from Zhenyuan, attempting to reach Huangping via the ancient post road through Gulong and Huangpiao. Learning of the movements of the Hunan troops, the uprising leaders Zhang Xiumei and Bao Dudu immediately planned for Bao Dudu to lead over 10,000 rebel troops from Xincheng, Pangxie, Kaitang, Kaishao, and Geyi to set up an ambush in the mountains, aiming to eliminate the elite Hunan troops between Shibing and Huangping. On March 19, the Hunan troops captured Shibing. Bao Dudu pretended to retreat in order to lure the enemy, engaging briefly before falling back to Baixi (20 li south of Shibing town). On the 20th, they abandoned Baixi again. The Hunan troops, overjoyed and underestimating the rebels, deployed Rong Weishan with five battalions as the vanguard, General Zhang Yidao’s forces as the second, General Su Yuanchun’s elite Yingyi Battalion as the third, Deng Ziyuan’s elite Jiejie Battalion as the fourth, and Huang Runchang’s Dingzhong Battalion as the rear guard, all advancing directly toward Huangping. On the 21st, they reached Gulong (40 li from Baixi). At that time, Rong Weishan, feeling the troops were fatigued from consecutive battles, discussed with Deng and Huang: “Our army does not establish camps but fights as a mobile force. Now, having advanced deep into enemy territory and fought for long periods while exhausted, we should rest the soldiers and resupply before advancing.” They prepared to set up camp and rest. However, various battalion commanders, eager for merit, pressed forward at dawn on the 23rd.

Five kilometers west of Huangpiao Village, atop the large slope, lie Zuotuan Cangshan Mountain to the left and Jiguan Mountain to the right, with the two peaks facing each other. The terrain is treacherous, the mountain path narrow and winding, surrounded by steep cliffs and deep ravines. Here, people cannot march in formation, nor can horses ride side by side—it is a natural stronghold in the southeast of Huangping. Bao Dudu set up three ambush points here, with piles of rolling rocks and logs on both mountains, along with muskets and cannons. He allowed the Hunan vanguard to enter the valley, and once the main force had passed, the hidden troops attacked from high ground, raining down rocks and logs. The Hunan troops were cut off, their front and rear unable to support each other, resulting in isolated fighting. Rong Weishan barely fought his way out, but Huang Runchang and Deng Ziyuan were trapped. Rong Weishan ordered Su Yuanchun to assist in the rescue. During the chaos, Huang Runchang lost his horse and was killed by a direct hit to the head. When Su Yuanchun returned, Deputy Intendant Deng Ziyuan, General Ling Zilong, General Peng Yongqing, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Yuanchen, Major Yang Hongliang, and Prefect Zou Sizhong were all killed in the ambush. Rong Weishan, waiting in vain for Su Yuanchun, ordered Zhang Yidao to return to the rescue, but he never came back. Sensing the severity of the situation, Rong Weishan personally led the remaining troops back into the encirclement, hoping to join forces with Huang Runchang and others for a joint breakout. By then, the Hunan forces had all been defeated. As he re-entered the trap, the rebel forces, effectively cutting them off, gradually wore them down. Rong Weishan was besieged for a full day and night, using up all ammunition and breaking all blades and spears, with almost all Qing soldiers dead. He was left with only about 200 men. On the 23rd, taking advantage of the cover of darkness, he forcibly occupied a hill and a small village, where they found some food. But then the rebel main force suddenly arrived, surrounding the small hill completely. Around midnight, Rong Weishan attempted a breakout; officers such as Luo Zhihong were killed, and the siege continued. Rong Weishan was besieged for two days, making three breakout attempts, but ultimately his troops were too exhausted and hungry, and his horse was shot and fell again, leading to his death in the ambush. With this, the entire army was annihilated.

Su Yuanchun was ordered to rescue Huang Runchang but was hit in the leg by a cannonball and trapped in the ambush. Though he fought hard while bandaging his wound, he couldn’t escape. Deputy General Huang Yuanguo’s troops happened to arrive and fought their way out with him. They joined forces with the central division commander Xu Qirui and managed to gather 3,000 surviving troops. Unwilling to fight again, they took a detour back to Huangping and survived. This battle ended in a major victory for the rebel forces—they annihilated over 18,000 Hunan troops, and more than 20 officers from the rank of Governor-General down were killed in battle. The rebels also captured countless supplies, including provisions, artillery, muskets, ammunition (lead bullets), blades, weapons, and horses.

Further Reading:

· First Batch of Cultural Relics Protection Units in Guizhou Province