Zhou Enlai’s Sea-Crossing Memorial Monument

Zhou Enlai’s Sea-Crossing Memorial Monument

Zhou Enlai’s Sea-Crossing Memorial Monument is a classic red tourism attraction.

In 1927, the Chinese Communist Party led the world-shocking Nanchang Uprising on August 1st, using revolutionary arms to resist counter-revolutionary forces and firing the first shot of armed struggle against the Kuomintang reactionaries. From then on, our Party led the people across the country onto the path of seizing political power through armed struggle. The military situation at the time was very unfavorable for the uprising forces, as the powerful counter-revolutionary forces posed a great threat to them. The Party Central Committee promptly made the strategic decision for the troops to evacuate Nanchang, quickly extricate themselves from the predicament, and preserve their military strength. Since the Chinese Communist Peng Pai had organized a peasant revolutionary movement in his hometown of Haifeng-Lufeng, forming the Haifeng-Lufeng Red Revolutionary Base, the Party Central Committee decided that the troops should move toward Haifeng-Lufeng. Leaders of the uprising forces such as Zhou Enlai, Ye Ting, and Nie Rongzhen were ordered to immediately lead the uprising troops southward. It was summer at the time, the weather was hot, and most of the uprising troops’ soldiers were from northern China and suffered from unaccustomed climates. Coupled with the pursuit and blockades by counter-revolutionary forces along the way, frequent battles, difficult logistical supplies, and a growing number of wounded and sick soldiers, the fighting capacity of the uprising forces rapidly weakened. After enduring hardships in battle, they finally arrived in Haifeng-Lufeng.

As soon as the troops entered Haifeng-Lufeng, the local people provided money and food to reward the revolutionary army, treated the wounded and sick, and greatly boosted morale. The uprising forces joined with peasant revolutionary troops to eliminate counter-revolutionary warlords and landlord forces, overthrow local tyrants, and distribute their wealth. Revolutionary influence throughout Haifeng-Lufeng greatly increased. Zhou Enlai fell seriously ill during the southward journey. After arriving in Lufeng, under the escort of Yang Shihun, Secretary of the Shantou Municipal Committee of the CPC, he reached the home of Huang Xiuwen (then Secretary of the Jinxia District Committee of the CPC in Lufeng) in Huangcuoliao Village, Jinxia, for treatment. At this time, the Party Central Committee ordered leaders of the uprising forces, including Zhou Enlai, to take a detour via Hong Kong to Shanghai to join the Party Central Committee, while the uprising forces would remain in Guangdong. Comrade Zhou Enlai stayed here for over ten days to recover from his illness. Once he was slightly better, he was escorted by Huang Xiuwen and others and bravely set off from the beach of Zhuzhu Village to cross the sea in a small fishing boat to Hong Kong. The small boat tossed for a whole day and night amid raging waves and extreme danger. With the assistance of the underground Party in Hong Kong, Zhou Enlai and others safely landed and went into hiding in Hong Kong, and later moved from Hong Kong to the underground Party organization in Shanghai.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Zhou Enlai still often thought of the people of Haifeng-Lufeng and the underground Party organization there. During a break before a meeting at the podium of the National People’s Congress, Zhou Enlai once met with Lufeng’s NPC deputy attending the session, inquiring with deep concern about the construction and people’s livelihood in Lufeng, showing profound affection for the people there.

Lai Shaoqi, a renowned modern Chinese poet and calligrapher, wrote in commemoration of the scene when veteran revolutionaries such as Zhou Enlai, Ye Ting, and Nie Rongzhen braved the crossing to Hong Kong in 1927, at the site of Zhou Enlai’s sea-crossing in Jieshi Bay: “The islet night like a cauldron, the distant sky a lone pillar. Braving the Jieshi Bay crossing, fierce as tigers descending the mountain.”

Jinxia Town: Jinxia Town is located in the southeastern part of Lufeng City, by Jieshi Bay. It borders Jieshi Town to the southeast, and neighbors Qiaochong Town and Chengdong Town to the northeast and northwest respectively. It is backed by mountains and faces the sea, with a coastline of 18.7 km. The town covers a land area of 48 square kilometers and has a total population of 47,000. It governs 13 village (residential) committees and is a coastal town with combined fishing, farming, and salt industries, as well as active commerce and trade. In 2000, the town achieved a total industrial and agricultural output value of 56.209 million yuan. Jinxia Town enjoys convenient water and land transportation. The Lujinjie Highway runs through the area, and it is 14 km by land from downtown Lufeng City and 15 km from the important southern town of Jieshi... More details about Jinxia Town++