Address: Chi’an village, Henandian town, Shexian county, Handan city, Hebei province Opening hours: 9 am to 5:30 pm Ticket price: Free
The Generals’ Ridge at the Eighth Route Army 129th Division Memorial Hall in Hebei, North China [Photo/IC]
Covering an area of five square kilometers, the Eighth Route Army 129th Division Memorial Hall in Hebei province is a nationally protected cultural heritage site and one of China’s first 100 patriotic education demonstration bases. It is the only memorial hall in China that comprehensively reflects the history of the Eighth Route Army 129th Division, integrating functions such as visiting, learning, paying tribute, memorial services, leisure, and experiential activities. The memorial complex consists of the former headquarters site, Generals’ Ridge, the exhibition hall, Chishui Bay, and related red tourism industrial parks.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), Liu Bocheng (1892-1986), an outstanding military officer, and Deng Xiaoping (1904-97), a leading figure of the army of the Communist Party of China, led the 129th Division across the Yellow River to join the fight against the Japanese invaders. In June 1940, the division headquarters was located in Chi’an village, Shexian county, and relocated within the village at the end of December that same year. They remained in Shexian county until the end of December 1945, staying for six years and leaving behind many revolutionary sites.
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, nearly a hundred senior leaders of the 129th Division later held important positions in the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government, becoming the backbone of China’s second-generation leadership and ushering in a historic new era of reform and opening-up. For this reason, Shexian county has been honored as the “cradle of China’s second-generation leadership”.
