Shuangqing Villa at Fragrant Hills

　　Shuangqing Villa at Fragrant Hills is situated on the mountainside at the southern foot of Fragrant Hills Park. With its tranquil environment, it attracts visitors with its verdant bamboo forests, ginkgo trees that shade the sky, majestic pines and cypresses, and classic Chinese architecture. However, what truly made this place world-famous is not its beautiful scenery, but because it was once the residence of Chairman Mao, the command center of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the site where major events that changed the fate and future of China took place. In 1994, Shuangqing Villa was designated as a “Beijing Youth Education Base.”

　　On March 25, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong led the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army from Xibaipo Village in Pingshan County, Hebei Province, to Beiping (now Beijing), taking up residence at Fragrant Hills. Chairman Mao lived in Shuangqing Villa, while Zhu De, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, and Ren Bishi stayed at the nearby Laiqing Pavilion. From then on, Shuangqing Villa at Fragrant Hills became the first stop in China’s revolutionary journey from rural bases to urban centers. Here, Mao and his comrades commanded the world-renowned Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, completing the great advance to liberate all of China; they prepared for the convening of the new Political Consultative Conference and the establishment of New China; and Mao wrote many important documents and timeless poems during this time.

　　In 1974, the Beijing Municipal Government allocated special funds to rebuild Shuangqing Villa. Between 1976 and 1986, Fragrant Hills Park gradually collected some of the items used by Chairman Mao during his stay at Shuangqing Villa, along with related photos and materials. After systematic preparation, the “Shuangqing Revolutionary History Exhibition” was held in October at Shuangqing Villa. In 1992, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Chairman Mao’s birth, the Beijing Municipal Committee instructed that an exhibition titled “Mao Zedong at Shuangqing” be held at Shuangqing Villa. After two years of preparation, a preview of the “Mao Zedong at Shuangqing” exhibition was opened to the public on July 1, 1993, to solicit feedback from all sectors of society, followed by continued revisions, improvements, and additions. On October 24, 1994, the “Mao Zedong at Shuangqing” exhibition was listed as one of Beijing’s second batch of Youth Education Demonstration Bases.

　　The Shuangqing Villa exhibition is divided into two main parts: “Mao Zedong at Shuangqing” and “Exhibition of Mao Zedong’s Activities at Shuangqing.” The first part is a physical display that recreates the living and working conditions of Mao at Shuangqing Villa in its original historical layout. The second part is a pictorial and textual exhibition, divided into three sections: From Xibaipo to Shuangqing at Fragrant Hills; Mao Zedong at Shuangqing; and Leaders’ Lives at Fragrant Hills. This exhibition room vividly reflects, both temporally and spatially, the immortal achievements of Mao and other central leaders during the critical historical period when China’s revolution was about to succeed and the nationwide advance had begun, providing profound education and inspiration for future generations.

　　Since the opening of the “Mao Zedong at Shuangqing” exhibition in 1993, Shuangqing Villa has received millions of visitors and hosted thousands of groups from government agencies, enterprises, schools, and other institutions, playing an important role in promoting patriotic education and national spirit. On special memorial days such as “Youth Day,” “Party Founding Day,” “Army Day,” and “National Day,” schools and social groups often organize thematic party and league activities here, yielding positive social impact.

　　On May 21, 2009, Shuangqing Villa at Fragrant Hills was elevated to the fourth batch of National Patriotic Education Demonstration Bases. Seizing this opportunity, Fragrant Hills Park will further strengthen its construction and maintenance, enrich the exhibition content, explore red cultural resources, and enhance patriotic practice activities, making Shuangqing Villa an important venue for inheriting revolutionary traditions, following in the footsteps of great leaders, cultivating patriotism, and refining moral character.

　　

　　Mao Zedong (1893~1976)　　Mao Zedong (December 26, 1893 – September 9, 1976), courtesy name Runzhi (originally Yongzhi, later changed to Runzhi), pen name Ziren. A native of Xiangtan, Hunan. Leader of the Chinese people, Marxist, great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist; a principal founder and leader of the Communist Party of China, the People’s Liberation Army, and the People’s Republic of China; also a poet and calligrapher. From 1949 to 1976, Mao served as the paramount leader of the People’s Republic of China. His contributions to the development of Marxism-Leninism, military theory, and communist theory are collectively known as Mao Zedong Thought. Because Mao... Details +

　　Zhu De (1886~1976)　　Born on December 1, 1886, courtesy name Yujie. Native of Yilong, Sichuan. In 1909, he enrolled in the Yunnan Military Academy and joined the Chinese Revolutionary Alliance (Tongmenghui) the same year. He participated in the 1911 Revolution. After 1913, he served in the Yunnan Army as a battalion commander, deputy regiment commander, regiment commander, and brigade commander. He took part in the National Protection War and the Constitutional Protection War. In 1922, he went to Germany to study and joined the Communist Party of China the same year. In 1925, he went to the Soviet Union to study military science and returned to China the following year. In 1927, he founded the Officers' Training Corps of the Third Army of the National Revolutionary Army in Nanchang and participated in leading the August 1 Nanchang Uprising, serving as deputy commander of the Ninth Army of the uprising forces. In 1928, he was involved in leading the Southern Hunan Uprising, establishing a workers’ and peasants’ democratic government, and in April of the same year, he led... Details +

　　Liu Shaoqi (1898~1969)　　Liu Shaoqi (1898–1969) was Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China; a great Marxist, proletarian revolutionary, politician, and theorist. A native of Huaminglou, Ningxiang County, Hunan Province (original name Shaoxuan, courtesy name Weihuang), he was born on November 24, 1898, into a peasant family in Tanzichong, Huaminglou. During his youth, he studied in Ningxiang, Changsha, Baoding, and Shanghai, and participated in anti-imperialist activities. In 1920, he joined the Socialist Youth League of China. In 1921, he went to Moscow, Russia, to study at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East and transferred to the Chinese Communist Party that winter... Details +

　　Zhou Enlai (1898~1976)　　Zhou Enlai was a Marxist, proletarian revolutionary, politician, military strategist, and diplomat; one of the principal leaders of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Republic of China, one of the founders of the People’s Liberation Army, and Premier of the People’s Republic of China (1949–1976). Originally from Shaoxing, Zhejiang, he was born in Huaian, Jiangsu. After graduating from Nankai School in Tianjin in 1917, he went to Japan to study. He returned to China in 1919 and entered Nankai University in September. During the May Fourth Movement, he became a leader of the Tianjin student movement and co-founded the progressive group Awakening Society with other activists. In 1920, he went to France for work-study. In 1921, he joined... Details +

　　Ren Bishi (1904~1950)　　Ren Bishi, a great Marxist, outstanding proletarian revolutionary, politician, and organizer, was an eminent leader of the Communist Party of China and the People’s Liberation Army, and an important member of the first generation of collective leadership of the CPC with Comrade Mao Zedong at its core. In August 1920, he joined the Socialist Youth League of China. In early 1922, he joined the Communist Party of China. In July 1925, he became the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. In May 1927, he was elected as a Central Committee member at the 5th National Congress of the CPC. After the breakdown of the first Kuomintang-Communist cooperation, on August 7, 1927, he attended the Emergency Meeting of the Central Committee of the CPC in Hankou, where he actively advocated for land... Details +

　　Source: Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development