Approaching the Cradle of the Republic — Ruijin Red Well

Not far from Changting, Fujian, there is a place known as the "Cradle of the Republic" — Ruijin, Jiangxi. Starting from Tingzhou Ancient City, it takes about an hour by car to reach the Ruijin Red Well Scenic Area. The Red Well Scenic Area is actually the Shazhouba Revolutionary Site Complex. Shazhouba was originally a small village outside Ruijin city, which has now developed into a town. In April 1933, the Central Executive Committee of the Chinese Soviet Republic relocated from Yeping to Shazhouba. As the name suggests, Shazhouba was a dry and water-scarce place. At that time, a folk rhyme went: "Shazhouba, Shazhouba, no water to wash handkerchiefs, three days without rain the land cracks, when it rains the earth moves." This truthfully depicted the water shortage in Shazhouba. However, the locals always believed in this saying: Shazhouba is a dry dragon, and no one must dig a well, or else the dragon vein would be disturbed, bringing disaster to the neighboring villages. Therefore, no one dared to break this superstition. Finally, the Red Army came, the Soviet Central Committee came, and Chairman Mao Zedong came. Chairman Mao did not believe in this superstition and personally led the soldiers and civilians to dig a well, ending the history of drinking from polluted ponds in the area. To honor those who dug the well, people erected a stone tablet by the well inscribed with "When drinking water, do not forget those who dug the well; always remember Chairman Mao," and this well was named the "Red Well." The Red Well is 85 centimeters in diameter and about 5 meters deep, with a spring that still flows endlessly today. Shazhouba preserves 35 revolutionary sites including the former Central Executive Committee site, all collectively known as the Red Well Scenic Area. In the golden March of spring, when the rapeseed flowers bloom in Shazhouba, we arrived at the Red Well. We visited one old site after another, such as the Central Labor People's Committee, Central Land People's Committee, Central Grain People's Committee, Central Education People's Committee, Central Internal Affairs People's Committee, Supreme Court, and the former site of the Consumer Cooperative General Society. These renovated earthen houses are very simple, not only proving the hardships and difficulties faced by the Communists at that time but also highlighting their spirited determination to move forward despite adversity. Clearly, among these sites, the most striking building is the former Central Committee site. Built in 1876 as a landlord’s private ancestral hall originally called Yuantai House, it is a typical Hakka residence. Besides Chairman Mao Zedong, leaders of the Soviet Central Committee such as He Shuheng, Xu Teli, and Xie Juezai lived and worked here. Along with Dong Biwu and Lin Boqu, who lived nearby, they often gathered under an ancient camphor tree to read, discuss work, or talk with the people. The Red Well is undoubtedly the most crowded spot for visitors. Some draw water from the well to taste it themselves, while others take photos around the well’s stone tablet as a memento. As the saying goes, "Though small, the sparrow has all its vital organs." Ruijin is not large, and Shazhouba is even smaller. The institutions and staff of the Soviet Central Committee were few, but precisely because of this, Ruijin indisputably became the cradle of the People’s Republic of China.