Northern Shaanxi Xintianyou: Arriving in Yan'an

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Northern Shaanxi Xintianyou: Arriving in Yan'an

Yan'an has always been a revolutionary holy land in the hearts of several generations. I grew up listening to stories of Yan'an, but only when I was around forty did I finally come to Yan'an to take a walk and have a look.

The towering Baota Mountain, the clear waters of the Yan River — we pay tribute to Yan'an as the holy land of the Chinese Revolution. Here, the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao and other veteran revolutionaries lived and fought for thirteen years (January 13, 1937 – March 23, 1948), leading the War of Resistance Against Japan and the War of Liberation, and nurturing the Yan'an Spirit that shines through the ages.

I arrived in Yan'an in 2014. As soon as I got there, I bought a map and followed it to visit the revolutionary sites one by one.

Pagoda Mountain (under renovation) — historically called Jialing Mountain; because of the pagoda on it, it is commonly known as Pagoda Mountain, an important symbol of the revolutionary holy land Yan'an. The pagoda was first built in the Tang Dynasty and now stands as a Ming Dynasty structure. The image of Pagoda Mountain often appears on renminbi and medals. (A ticket is required to enter and climb the mountain.)

Cliffside stone carvings at the foot of Pagoda Mountain.

Fenghuang Mountain Revolutionary Site

This was the first residence of Mao Zedong and the Party Central Committee after arriving in Yan'an in January 1937; central leaders also lived here. Here Mao wrote famous works such as “On Practice,” “On Contradiction,” “On Protracted War,” and “Combat Liberalism.” In November 1938, Japanese warplanes bombed Yan'an for the first time, severely damaging the old city. The Central Committee and Mao Zedong and other leading comrades then moved to Yangjialing, northwest of Yan'an city.

Yangjialing Revolutionary Site

The residence of the Chinese Communist Party, located 2 km northwest of Yan'an city. From November 1938 to March 1947, Mao Zedong and other central leaders and central organs lived here. They commanded the war in the enemy’s rear areas during the Anti-Japanese War, led the War of Liberation, directed the Great Production Movement and the Rectification Movement, and convened the Party’s Seventh National Congress and the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art. The Central Auditorium was built here in 1942, and in 1945 the Party Congress was held in the auditorium.

In August 1946, Mao Zedong met with American journalist Anna Louise Strong at a small stone table in front of a cave dwelling in Yangjialing. In response to the prevailing “fear of America” sentiment, he put forward the famous assertion that “All reactionaries are paper tigers.”

Wangjiaping Site of the General Headquarters of the Eighth Route Army

Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site was the location of the Central Secretariat, situated 8 km northwest of Yan'an city. Originally a landlord’s estate, it was later renamed “Yan Yuan,” with the name written by Kang Sheng.

Mao Zedong lived here from November 1938 to May 1943. In autumn 1940, due to the noise from the construction of the Central Auditorium and other projects, Mao and other leaders and some central organs moved to Zaoyuan to live; they moved back to Yangjialing in 1942, and in 1943 Mao and other leaders gradually moved to Zaoyuan again.

On September 8, 1944, Mao Zedong attended the memorial meeting for ordinary soldier Zhang Side, who had died while burning charcoal, at the foot of the western hill in the back gully of Zaoyuan. Mao personally wrote the elegiac inscription and delivered the famous speech “Serve the People.”

Five hundred meters west of the Zaoyuan Revolutionary Site, there is a live performance of “The Defense of Yan'an.”

“All eyes are on Qingliang Mountain” (Chen Yi). Located on the opposite bank of the Yan River northeast of Yan'an city, it forms a tripod with Fenghuang Mountain and Baota Mountain across the river, facing each other from a distance, and has always been the number one scenic spot in Yan'an. (Ticket required to enter.) At the foot of the mountain are the former sites of the Party’s news and publishing units during the Yan'an period. The “Yan'an News Memorial Hall” is built there. (Ticket required.)

Yan'an Revolutionary Memorial Hall

Originally named Yan'an Museum. Located on the east bank of the Yan River, 1 km from the city, built in January 1950, it is one of the earliest revolutionary memorial halls established after the founding of New China. In June 1973, it moved to its present location in Wangjiaping; the name was written by Guo Moruo.

There are many revolutionary sites in Yan'an. Some are not open to the public due to lack of maintenance, and some are hard for ordinary people to find. Nowadays, Yan'an has become a medium-sized regional central city.