Red Army legacy draws visitors

Ninety years after the Red Army's Eastern Expedition, a memorial hall in Shilou county, Lyuliang city, is attracting visitors in record numbers.

In the spring of 1936, large parts of North China were plagued by war. Ren Xiahui, a then 16-year-old villager from Zaozhuangze village in Shilou, Shanxi province, set out for the neighboring province of Shaanxi to join the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the military wing of the Communist Party of China from 1928 to 1937. At the time, the Japanese army was pressing into Shanxi, and panic spread among the people. Ren Xiahui believed that the Red Army was a force that could save the nation from peril.

On Feb 20, 1936, the First Front Army of the Red Army crossed the Yellow River eastward. The Red Army fought in Shanxi for 75 days, traversing more than 50 counties, including Shilou, Jiaokou and Yonghe. To end the civil war and unite against Japan, the Red Army returned westward across the river on May 5 of that year. This far-reaching military campaign is historically known as the Red Army's Eastern Expedition.

In October 1936, the Second and Fourth Front Armies of the Red Army joined forces with the First Front Army in Huining, Gansu province, marking the end of the Long March military expedition. That same month, Ren joined the Party. Later, he served as a code clerk, repeatedly completing missions to transmit vital military intelligence.

For Ren Shiping, 67, the 90th anniversary carries personal weight. He is both the son of Red Army veteran Ren Xiahui and a founding member of the memorial hall.

Growing up listening to his father's oral accounts of the revolutionary past, Ren Shiping was deeply influenced. "My father spent his life telling stories of the Red Army, and this faith has inspired our family for generations," he said. He accompanied his father many times to visit the Yellow River ferry crossings and battle sites, always cherishing the memory of those tumultuous years.

Ren Shiping said the memorial hall houses more than 1,200 revolutionary artifacts, historical photographs and documents, including 328 physical revolutionary relics.

"The exhibition hall uses 3D dynamic sand tables, interactive scenes, holographic imaging and other audiovisual technologies to vividly recreate the fiery years of the Eastern Expedition," he said.

Liu Jian, director of the memorial hall, said that the museum treasures three national first-class revolutionary relics — a sheepskin float, a military bugle and a porcelain bowl — which are precious testimonies to the history of the Eastern Expedition.

"Since the memorial hall opened to the public for free in 1996, the annual number of visitors has steadily increased. Last year, we received 150,000 visitors, and this year the number is expected to reach a new high," Liu said.

Zhang Jie, a docent with 13 years of experience, said visitors are particularly interested in the Red Army's Eastern Expedition battle history and stories of the deep bond between the army and the people. Liu Zhidan, the highest-ranking Red Army commander to die in the Eastern Expedition, is a focal point for visitors.

Zhang said Liu Zhidan led his troops across the Yellow River into Shanxi to open a passage for resistance. On April 14, 1936, during a fierce battle with the enemy in Sanjiao town in present-day Liulin county, Liu Zhidan was hit by a bullet and died at the age of 32.

In Damaijiao village, Jiaokou county, Lyuliang city, there is another important site — the former headquarters of the Red Army's Eastern Expedition. This three-courtyard cave dwelling, built during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), witnessed many key decisions during the Eastern Expedition. "Jiaokou has more than 20 remaining Eastern Expedition sites, including the site of the Jinxi Conference," said Ma Lixin, director of the Jiaokou cultural relics protection center. He said the local government has increased investment in the protection of revolutionary relics, renovating many Red heritage sites. Staff members remain on the front lines of repairing and maintaining these sites and promoting Red culture.

Jiaokou has, in recent years, developed the Damaijiao Red Army Eastern Expedition Cultural Tourism Scenic Area, promoting the integration of culture and tourism. "Innovation is the lifeblood of the protection and utilization of revolutionary relics," Ma said. "We are also actively exploring new models of digital display to truly bring these revolutionary sites to life."

Yonghe county in Linfen city was where the Red Army decided to return westward to northern Shaanxi. In the Red Army Eastern Expedition Yonghe Memorial Hall, a wooden boat measuring 7.55 meters long, 2.54 meters wide and 0.9 meters high stands out, known locally as the "Red Army Boat".

Contact the writers at zhuxingxin@chinadaily.com.cn