Poem Stele of Chen Yi's "Three Poems in Meiling" in Meiling

Poem Stele of Chen Yi's "Three Poems in Meiling" in Meiling

The Poem Stele of Chen Yi's "Three Poems in Meiling" in Meiling is a classic site of red tourism.

The ancient Meiling section of the Meiguan Ancient Road was both an ancient battlefield and a site where the Red Army fought multiple battles during the revolutionary war years. Marshal Chen Yi led his troops in conducting a three-year guerrilla war in this area and, in a moment of peril, composed the stirring "Three Poems in Meiling." The Meiguan Ancient Road has been designated as one of the first Guangdong Red Tourism Demonstration Bases.

The Meiguan Ancient Road is flanked by two peaks, standing majestically over Meiling like a city gate separating Guangdong and Jiangxi. The Meiguan Pass in Nanxiong has historically been a vital north-south transportation route and a strategic military stronghold contested by armies throughout the ages. Historical records describe Nanxiong as “the foremost of the Five Ridges, a gateway between Jiang (Jiangxi) and Guang (Guangdong),” and “the throat of the north-south corridor, the shield of the capital.” The name of Nanxiong County is also related to the Meiguan Pass—Nanxiong means “the mighty pass of southern Yue,” with the “mighty pass” referring to the Meiguan Pass. The existing gate tower was built during the Jiayou era of the Song Dynasty, featuring a brick-and-stone structure that is simple yet majestic. During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, Jiang Jie, the prefect of Nanxiong, erected a plaque on the gate tower. The northern gate bears the inscription “Southern Yue Mighty Pass,” while the southern gate is inscribed with “First Pass of Lingnan.” On the north side of the gate, there is a stone stele measuring 2.4 meters in height and 1.4 meters in width, engraved with two bold regular-script characters “Meiling” (梅岭), each character about six square feet in size, displaying vigorous and powerful strokes. This stele was erected by Zhang Fengxiang, the prefect of Nanxiong during the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era. A couplet flanks the gate tower: “Mei quenches the traveler’s thirst; the pass guards against marauders.”

[Poem Stele of Chen Yi's "Three Poems in Meiling"]

In October 1936, amid a climate of oppression, the revolution was at a low ebb. Due to the betrayal of Chen Hai, Chen Yi and others experienced a life-or-death adventure in Meiling. In this moment of mortal peril, he wrote the famous "Three Poems in Meiling." One line from the poems reads: “To die for justice and humanity is our task today; freedom’s flowers shall bloom across the land.” It expressed his firm belief in the inevitable victory of the revolution: “The revolutionary ideal is higher than the sky.” Today, the Meiling where he fought is covered with “freedom’s flowers.”