Site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers

Site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers

The Site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a classic red tourism attraction.

The Site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers is located in Zhuangwuping Village, Tansha Township, Xiaba Township, Fengshun County. Originally built temporarily with bamboo, wood, and thatched materials, it was later burned down by - forces. In 1985, a two-story reinforced concrete building with an area of 450 square meters was constructed behind the original site as a memorial museum to the Dongjiang Soviet Government and the Red Eleventh Army.

From May 1–2, 1930, the 0 Dongjiang Special Committee held the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers here. A total of 184 representatives attended the meeting, and the Dongjiang Soviet Government was elected. Chen Kuinya served as chairman, with Gu Dacun as vice-chairman. The Red Eleventh Army was also announced to be established, with Gu Dacun as army commander and Yan Hanzhang as political commissar.

Baxiang Mountain is located in the Lianhua Mountain Range in eastern Guangdong, in the southwestern part of Fengshun County. During the Agrarian Revolutionary War, it served as the center of the revolutionary base area in the Dongjiang region of our province. The Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit “Site of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers,” situated in Zhuangwuping Village in the heart of Baxiang Mountain, along with its affiliated “Dongjiang Soviet Government Memorial Museum,” is widely renowned. The original site, built with bamboo, wood, and thatched materials, was burned down after the winter of 1930 during successive large-scale attacks launched by - reactionary forces against Baxiang Mountain. The Dongjiang Soviet Government Memorial Museum is a two-story reinforced concrete building funded by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Culture and constructed by the Fengshun County People’s Government in 1985, covering an area of 450 square meters. The museum exhibits are richly illustrated with texts and images, including precious photographs of veteran revolutionaries from that era, depictions of the grand occasion of the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers, documents, handwritten orders, and newspaper records of the - “encirclement” campaigns against the Dongjiang Soviet Area, as well as reactionary wall slogans written by enemies such as “Capturing Gu Dacun Alive Rewarded with 20,000 Silver Dollars” and “Killing Gu Dacun Rewarded with 10,000 Silver Dollars.” Exhibited artifacts also include weapons used by the Red Guards—conch horns, halberds, black powder guns, red armbands, red epaulets, and belongings of martyrs. Through these revolutionary relics, visitors can faintly sense the blood-stained valor of the Red Army in those days.

In March 1930, under the leadership of the 0 Dongjiang Special Committee, various levels of the Dongjiang Soviet Area held workers, peasants, and soldiers congresses, establishing Soviet governments at all levels. In April 1930, the First Dongjiang Congress of Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers was convened in Zhuangwuping Village, Tansha Township, Baxiang Mountain. The congress elected Chen Kuinya as chairman and Gu Dacun as vice-chairman of the Dongjiang Soviet Government, and announced the establishment of the Red Eleventh Army, with Gu Dacun as army commander, Yan Hanzhang as political commissar, and five regiments and one training unit under its command, totaling about 3,000 officers and soldiers. Representatives from over 300 individuals from the Dongjiang, Guangzhou, Qiongzhai, and northern Guangdong areas attended the congress. After the establishment of the Dongjiang Soviet Government and the Red Eleventh Army, unified leadership and military unity were strengthened. Large-scale land revolution movements were launched, and extensive, in-depth, and protracted battles were fought against reactionary armed forces. The revolutionary struggle persisted until the period of the Anti-Japanese War.

The people of Dongjiang have a glorious tradition of revolution. For a long time, under the leadership of the Chinese 0, the people of Dongjiang have fought bravely and relentlessly from the First and Second Revolutionary Civil Wars to the Anti-Japanese War, making outstanding contributions to the liberation of the Chinese nation.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units