Former Residence of Comrade Mao Zedong in Ciping

　　In May 1928, Zhu De and Chen Yi led part of the forces from the Nanchang Uprising to Jinggangshan to join forces with Mao Zedong. Since then, comrades such as Mao Zedong and Zhu De repeatedly deployed battles here, thwarting multiple military “encirclement and suppression” operations by enemy forces from Hunan and Jiangxi. Mao Zedong’s former residence is located in the center of Dajing Village and was commonly known as the “White House” because its walls were white. The house has a total of 44 rooms, five courtyards. Mao Zedong stayed here when he first arrived at Dajing with the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, and it later became his residence in Dajing. At that time, five farming households and the local armed forces of Wang Zuo also lived here. At the end of January 1929, the house was burned down by the enemy, leaving only a section of the damaged wall, two trees behind the house, and a large rock on the front lawn. In 1960, the local government restored the house to its original appearance and embedded the remaining wall into the new structure as a memorial. The large rock in front of the house is called the “Reading Stone,” as Mao Zedong often sat on it to read, review documents, and study.

　　From October 1927 to January 1929, Comrade Mao Zedong frequently lived and worked in the right rear room of this house. Here, he drafted the “Report of the Jinggangshan Front Committee to the Central Committee” on behalf of the Jinggangshan Front Committee, also known as “The Struggle in Jinggangshan.” This document provided a comprehensive theoretical summary of the experience in establishing the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base and articulated the innovative concept of “armed agrarian revolution.”

　　The 0 Jinggangshan Front Committee was also located in the central hall of the house. Comrade Mao Zedong presided over numerous Party, government, and military meetings here to plan and deploy various tasks within the base area. On January 14, 1929, Mao Zedong led the main force of the Fourth Red Army to leave Jinggangshan. This house was burned down by reactionaries in February 1929 and was restored in 1961, being designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. In 1961, the people of Jinggangshan restored the site to its historical appearance for public visits. On March 4 of the same year, the State Council announced the “Former Residence of Comrade Mao Zedong and the Site of the 0 Jinggangshan Front Committee” as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

　　The Former Residence of Mao Zedong in Ciping is situated at the foot of Dongshan Mountain in the center of Ciping, facing the picturesque Yicui Lake. Originally, it was the home of a local farmer. When Mao Zedong led the Autumn Harvest Uprising forces from the Hunan-Jiangxi border region to Ciping, he stayed here. For over a year, whenever Mao Zedong came to Ciping, he resided and worked in the right rear room of the central hall of this house. In November 1928, the reorganized 0 Jinggangshan Front Committee also set up its offices here.

　　At that time, the living conditions of the Red Army were extremely harsh. The furnishings in Mao Zedong’s bedroom and office were very simple — the bed and furniture all belonged to the landlord. On a long wooden table with peeling paint, there was only an oil lamp, a lantern, an inkstone, and writing brushes. Except when attending meetings, going out, or engaging in battle, Mao Zedong often worked here day and night reading documents, writing articles, and devising battle plans.

　　Winters in Jinggangshan are particularly cold. Like the Red Army soldiers, Mao Zedong wore only two thin garments, slept on straw bedding, and covered himself with a thin cotton blanket. Sometimes during late-night work, his hands would become numb from the cold, so he would drape the cotton blanket over himself for warmth. To conserve lamp oil, the army stipulated that officers at the battalion level or above could use three wicks per lamp for evening work, while soldiers on guard duty could use only one wick per lamp. By this rule, Mao Zedong could have used three wicks for his evening work, but he insisted on using only one. Under the light of that single-wick lamp, Mao Zedong drafted the brilliant work “The Struggle in Jinggangshan” and the quatrain-style “Proclamation of the Fourth Red Army.” Later, after capturing one or two lanterns, the troops presented them to Mao Zedong, but he never used them for evening work, reserving them only for evening meetings or outings. That lantern is now displayed in the bedroom as a precious revolutionary relic.

　　Admission Ticket

　　Included in the general admission ticket, 190 RMB

　　Location of the Scenic Spot

　　Southwest of Jinggangshan, 7 km from Ciping