Gongcheng Academy

　　    Gongcheng Academy, originally named "Luomeng Academy," is situated at the foot of Luomeng Mountain in Tongdao County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Established in 1105 during the Song Dynasty, it originally covered an area of 2,830 square meters but was later destroyed by a fire. In the 57th year of the Qing Qianlong era, or 1792, skilled craftsmen from the Dong ethnic group rebuilt "Luomeng Academy" on its original site and renamed it "Gongcheng Academy." It is the best-preserved ancient Dong academy in China today.

　　    This ancient academy, which has withstood 210 years of history, consists of four sections: the gate tower, study rooms, lecture hall, and connecting corridors. The architectural complex is complete and well-organized. The two-story wooden buildings are aligned along a central axis, connected by corridors in between, with blue brick walls surrounding the compound. Outside the courtyard stand two osmanthus trees. The grand gate tower with upturned eaves is majestic, while the moss-covered stone steps exude an air of antiquity. Ascending the steps, you enter a long corridor, with six symmetrically arranged study rooms on both sides—each two-story structure includes four lecture rooms and one dormitory.

　　    Gongcheng Academy stands as an immortal monument in the history of the Chinese revolution. In 1934, when the Central Red Army passed through Tongdao during the Long March, an emergency meeting known as the "Tongdao Meeting" was held in the academy, leading to the famous historical event called the "Tongdao Pivot." This decision saved the Red Army and rescued the Chinese revolution. Since then, the ancient Gongcheng Academy has been forever linked with the great Long March and enshrined in the annals of history.

　　    On December 12, 1934, seven senior leaders of the Red Army held a Politburo meeting to discuss the direction of their march. The original plan was to advance northward into northern Hunan to join forces with He Long and Chen Yi’s Second and Sixth Red Armies. However, the northern route had already been heavily guarded by Chiang Kai-shek’s forces, leaving almost no viable path. Mao Zedong strongly advocated advancing into Guizhou, where enemy defenses were weak, a proposal that was eventually adopted by the majority. This led to the Military Commission’s "Top Urgent" telegram and the subsequent "Tongdao Pivot."

　　    At the meeting site, it is noted that among the seven attendees, only Mao Zedong did not sit on a chair but on a simple bench. The other six were Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Zhang Wentian, Wang Jiaxiang, Bo Gu, and Otto Braun (Li De). In reality, the "Three-Man Group" composed of Zhou, Bo, and Li was the highest leadership body at the time.

　　    Aside from the Red Army's Tongdao Meeting, Gongcheng Academy holds many other layers of significance. Originally built during the Song Dynasty, it had undergone multiple destructions and relocations before. The current structure was constructed during the Qing Qianlong era and has a history of over 200 years. From the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era, this academy enjoyed a prestigious reputation across the border regions of Hunan, Guangxi, and Guizhou. The academy faces west and is backed by Luomeng Mountain, with the Gong River extending in front, giving it a layout said to resemble a hidden dragon. Strikingly, in the 10th year of the Republic of China (1921), Weng Xinfu, the then-county magistrate of Tongdao, inscribed a couplet on the front hall pillars of the academy. The upper line reads: "Those who graduate from elementary school must go on to middle school; those who graduate from middle school must go on to university." The lower line states: "The wealthy certainly should pursue further education, but even the poor must find a way to do so."

　　    This couplet invites three interpretations: First, that Magistrate Weng may have lacked refinement, as even his couplet lacks proper parallelism—but his heartfelt call for the people to pursue education shines through. Second, that the magistrate was highly progressive, deliberately using vernacular language to challenge old ways of thinking. Third, that the local populace was enlightened, pragmatic, innovative, and inclusive. From any perspective, this small Gongcheng Academy, nestled in a remote border area, seems to hold deep foresight. And might this foresight be somehow inherently linked to Mao Zedong’s advocacy for marching westward, as well as the democratic decision-making process of the entire Tongdao Meeting?