Visit to Yangjiagou

On March 19, 1947, Chairman Mao led over 2,000 members of the central authorities in a game of hide-and-seek with Hu Zongnan's troops in the mountains of northern Shaanxi. Undoubtedly, this was a contest of courage and wisdom. In such a perilous environment, they skillfully maneuvered, repeatedly escaping danger, and even 'planned strategies within the mountains to secure victory thousands of miles away.' The great leader's strategic acumen cannot fail to inspire admiration from later generations.

After several months of maneuvering and fighting, the momentum of the Kuomintang forces was completely suppressed, and the situation in northern Shaanxi had fundamentally changed. On November 22, 1947, the 'Asian Department,' led by Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, and Ren Bishi, arrived in Yangjiagou and set up camp there.

Yangjiagou was the last residence of the central authorities in northern Shaanxi and the place where they stayed the longest during their year-long campaign in the region. Here, the important December Conference was held, Chairman Mao delivered the significant speech 'The Present Situation and Our Tasks,' and the central authorities made the decision to cross the Yellow River eastward to embrace nationwide victory.

Yangjiagou is the starting point from which the Chinese Revolution emerged from northern Shaanxi to achieve victory across the country.

On August 25, filled with anticipation, I visited Yangjiagou after touring Li Zicheng's palace.

In those days, Yangjiagou was the estate of the Ma family landlords. The scale of the buildings and the terrain were quite favorable, suitable for the central authorities to work and reside. Here are the places where Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, Ren Bishi, He Long, Yang Shangkun, and other revolutionaries of the older generation once lived. It has now been opened to the public as a red tourism site.

Today, the road from Mizhi to Yangjiagou is very smooth. If such transportation conditions had existed back then, the Kuomintang forces would likely have easily found this place. One can imagine how rugged and winding the roads were at that time.

A road has now been built from the foot of the mountain to the top, allowing cars to drive directly up. However, we still parked at the bottom and walked up along the old path. Along the way, we could see the cave dwellings and courtyards where villagers live, as well as the former estates of landlords. Apart from enjoying the scenery, we did not delve too deeply into the family histories of these landlords.

First, we arrived at the Yangjiagou Revolutionary Memorial Hall, which is the site where the December Conference was held and where Chairman Mao, Zhou Enlai, Ren Bishi, He Long, Yang Shangkun, and others once lived.

Although the room of the December Conference site is not large, the conference itself was indeed of great significance. Standing in the room, one could almost hear the joyful laughter and conversation of the participants from that time. It can be said that this was also a relatively relaxed meeting, as they already had a direction for victory and could glimpse the dawn of success.

The New Courtyard was where Chairman Mao and Zhou Enlai lived. The cave dwellings there have been preserved in their original state. In Chairman Mao's residence, a living room and bathroom were built at the time, showing that the landlord was quite 'particular' about things.

It is worth mentioning Zhou Enlai's cave dwelling. At that time, the interior was not yet finished, and the bed was moved inside before the cave door was built. Because the bed was large and the door was small, the bed could 'never get out.'

Through the air-raid shelter, one can reach the Chairman Mao's Campaign in Northern Shaanxi Memorial Hall. Unfortunately, the memorial hall was not open.

Today, Yangjiagou's scenery is also very beautiful. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the green foliage covers the hillsides, making them appear especially vibrant. In this time of national prosperity, the old buildings here have also regained their vitality.

Author: Da Song Wanjun, written on September 9, 2021, in memory of the 45th anniversary of Chairman Mao's passing.