Former Residence of Deng Yanda (Deng Yanda Memorial Hall)

Former Residence of Deng Yanda (Deng Yanda Memorial Hall)

The Former Residence of Deng Yanda (Deng Yanda Memorial Hall) is a Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a patriotic education base.

The Deng Yanda Memorial Park is located in Lujing Village, Sandong Town, Huicheng District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. It covers a total area of 52.6 hectares, including 21.8 hectares of construction land and 12.9 hectares of core area. The Deng Yanda Memorial Park was jointly built by the Huizhou Municipal Committee and Government of the Communist Party of China, the Huicheng District Committee and Government.

The total project investment is about 60 million yuan, to be completed in two phases. The first phase has been largely completed. Major projects in the first phase include the Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall, the Nonggong Square, the Whampoa Square, the Aspiration Wall, the Memorial Archway, the Former Residence, two pavilions (the Sabose Pavilion and the Yuyuanfang Pavilion), and two bridges (the Wuchang Bridge and the Baoding Bridge), representing key scenes from Deng Yanda’s revolutionary life.

The entire park follows a layout structure of one core, one axis, and three zones.

The core refers to the central area of the Deng Yanda Memorial Park, centered around the Deng Yanda Former Residence, the Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall, and the Yanda School. It includes the Exhibition Hall, the Aspiration Wall, the Double Bridges, etc. The Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall covers a land area of about 1,000 square meters, with a building area of 730 square meters, and houses exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and reception rooms.

The axis is the central axis formed by the Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall and the Nonggong Square, serving to connect various functional areas and showcasing the landscape features of the memorial park.

The three zones consist of the old village scenery zone in the west, the sightseeing agriculture and leisure zone in the middle, and the modern agriculture zone in the east.

The Deng Yanda Memorial Park was completed on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party and the 115th birth anniversary of Deng Yanda. It is now recognized as the “National Patriotic Education Base of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party,” “Guangdong Provincial Patriotic Education Base,” “Guangdong Provincial United Front Base,” and “Huizhou Municipal Social Science Popularization and Academic Lecture Demonstration Base.”

A dedicated Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall has been established within the memorial park, showcasing Deng Yanda’s glorious life in the pursuit of truth and progress for national independence, people’s liberation, and national prosperity, commemorating his significant contributions to the Chinese revolution.

On the west side of the central area of the Deng Yanda Memorial Park stands a four-pillar, three-bay Lingnan-style memorial archway. Made of granite, the archway is 13 meters wide and 13 meters tall, with an inscription personally written by Sang Guowei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Chairman of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party: “Deng Yanda Memorial Park.” The couplet in front of the archway reads: “Amid raging storms, we uproot traitors and uphold the nation’s fate; in this picturesque garden, we reflect on the past to inspire the present.” The couplet at the back reads: “Visiting the former residence, we engrave the role model in our minds; promoting noble spirit, we encourage future generations with loyalty.” These couplets not only extol Mr. Deng Yanda’s revolutionary achievements but also educate future generations to carry forward his heroic spirit and uphold his tradition of patriotism and love for the people.

Behind the archway lies the Nonggong Square, with the Aspiration Wall on the north side inscribed with Deng Yanda’s motivational quote: “The life or death of an individual is insignificant; the Chinese revolution must be resumed as soon as possible.”

The bronze statue of Deng Yanda stands on the north side of the Nonggong Square, facing the Aspiration Wall. The statue depicts him in a heroic posture, with a resolute expression and a majestic presence, a true reflection of his lifelong courage and fearlessness.

Behind the Deng Yanda statue is his former residence. In June 1995, the Deng Yanda Former Residence was designated as a Huizhou Municipal Patriotic Education Base, and in July 2002, it was listed as a Provincial Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the Guangdong Provincial Government. The residence faces south and covers an area of 300 square meters. Originally a tile-and-brick house, it is a common form of rural dwelling in southern China. Deng Yanda spent his childhood here. The current residence was rebuilt in 1986 following the principle of preserving the original style. The house has two sections, front and back, totaling six rooms, two small halls, and covering 189 square meters. Deng Yanda’s room is located on the left side of the back section, where some of his personal belongings are displayed.

The plaque of the Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall was inscribed by Chen Zongxing, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Executive Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party. The couplets on both sides, “A loyal heart devoted to military service throughout life to revitalize the nation; an iron will filled with knowledge aimed at serving the people,” were inscribed by Zhang Guiguang, a member of the Council of the China Calligraphers Association and Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Calligraphers Association.

Deng Yanda Exhibition Hall

The Exhibition Hall has three exhibition rooms and features two main displays: the history of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party and the life of Deng Yanda.

The first exhibition room provides a brief introduction to the development history and current status of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party. Founded on August 9, 1930, in Shanghai, the party was initially named the “Provisional Action Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang.” Before the liberation, it was renamed the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party. It is one of China’s eight democratic parties and currently primarily represents high- and mid-level intellectuals in the medical and health sectors.

Since its establishment, the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party has undergone a difficult and tortuous development path. It has stood together with the Communist Party of China through thick and thin, making important contributions during both the democratic revolution and the socialist revolution and construction periods. The party’s 80-year history reflects the nature of Chinese society and the characteristics of political struggle, as well as the tremendous strength of the revolutionary united front under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The second and third exhibition rooms of the Exhibition Hall focus on the life of Deng Yanda. The second room displays photos and historical materials about Deng Yanda’s birth background, education, military career, and remarkable achievements. A large-scale restored scene of the attack on Wuchang City is featured. The third room illustrates how Deng Yanda put Sun Yat-sen’s exhortation—“cultivate the will to die for the cause and rid oneself of the desire to live for self-preservation”—into action, through supporting the peasant movement, opposing oppression, studying abroad, and sacrificing his life for his ideals.

To the northwest of the Exhibition Hall is the Sabose Pavilion. Sabose was the site of the first national cadres’ meeting of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party and the birthplace of the party’s founding ideals. The couplets on both sides of the Sabose Pavilion read: “The party was founded to strengthen the nation, aiming to save the suffering peasants and workers; leading the army to victory, its might surged like cosmic thunder.”

To the south of the Exhibition Hall are the Baoding Bridge and the Yuyuanfang Pavilion. The Baoding Military Academy is where Deng Yanda studied, grew, and embraced revolutionary ideas. When the Provisional Action Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang was first established, Deng Yanda was arrested at No. 20, Yuyuanfang, Yuyuan Road, Shanghai, due to betrayal. The Baoding Bridge and Yuyuanfang Pavilion were built to commemorate this. The Yuyuanfang Pavilion bears the couplet: “Facing all beings with a clear conscience, even facing execution, righteousness endures.”

To the south behind the Exhibition Hall is the Whampoa Square. As one of the founding preparatory committee members of the Whampoa Military Academy, Deng Yanda made significant contributions to its establishment. During his teaching tenure at the academy, he placed great emphasis on students’ ideological and political education. He was strict yet approachable, earning deep respect from his students. Connected to the Whampoa Square is the Wuchang Bridge. During the Northern Expedition, Deng Yanda served as Director of the Political Department of the General Headquarters. He played a crucial role in the Battle of Wuchang, earning the title of “Commander of the Siege.” He led the Fourth Army and other forces in a 40-day assault on Wuchang, achieving a key victory in the Northern Expedition and paving the way for the relocation of the Nationalist Government to Wuhan.

The memorial park features winding streams, pavilions, towers, and lush greenery. The main structures in the park are predominantly in gray-white tones, designed in the style of Hakka residential architecture. The surrounding village homes coordinate harmoniously with the park’s buildings, forming a unified whole. (Source: Publicity Department of the Huizhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China)

On July 17, 2002, it was included in the fourth batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Address: Deng Yanda Memorial Park, Lujing Village, Sandong Town, Huicheng District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province

Type: Celebrity Former Residence

Recommended Visiting Time: 0.5–1 hour

Phone: 0752-2597113

Official Website: http://www.dydjny.cn/

Admission: Free entry.

Deng Yanda (1895–1931), courtesy name Zesheng, was a native of Huiyang, Guangdong. His father, a scholar in the late Qing Dynasty, once served as the magistrate of Dan County and devoted his life to education. He sympathized with Sun Yat-sen’s democratic revolution and shared a close friendship with Deng Jian. Deng Yanda was deeply influenced by his father from an early age. In the first year of the Xuantong era (1909), he enrolled in the fourth cohort of the Guangdong Army Primary School, where he joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance. When the Xinhai Revolution broke out, he joined the revolutionary army led by Yao Yuping along with his schoolmates and participated in the Northern Expedition. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), he entered the Guangdong Army Accelerated Training School. In 1914, he enrolled in Wu... More details about Deng Yanda++

Lujing Village: Located by the Freshwater River, it is the hometown of Deng Yanda, the founder of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party. The Deng Yanda Memorial Park is also situated in this village. It is one of the three major demonstration sites for Lingnan-style new rural housing in Guangdong Province. The new housing, together with the Deng Yanda Memorial Park and the Yanda High-Efficiency Agriculture Base, form the “New Rural Paradise.”

History

Lujing Village was once part of Yonghu Township, Huiyang County.

Lujing Village is located in a remote area. Due to a lack of water conservancy facilities and muddy roads, most of the farmland in the village were “shuǐhuǒ tián” (fields prone to both flooding and drought)—flooded during rainy days and parched under the sun—often leading to insufficient food supply. Elders in the village recall having to borrow grain from relatives, friends, and neighbors to get by... More details about Lujing Village++

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Guangdong Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units