🏛️ Former Residence of the Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China in Jinji-Lu-Yu

"The Red Heart at the Foot of the Taihang Mountains, the Strategic Command Center of North China during the War of Liberation"

📍 Basic Information

• Address: Chian Village, Xian County, Handan City, Hebei Province (adjacent to the former residence of the Jinji-Lu-Yu Military Region Command)
• Protection Level: National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit (designated by the State Council in 2006)
• Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM daily (closed on Mondays, except public holidays)
• Admission Policy: Free entry; visitors must register with valid identification
• Reservation Method: Book via the "Hebei Cultural Tourism Reservation Platform" or scan QR codes on-site

📜 Historical Evolution: The Command Hub of the North China Liberated Area

The Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China in Jinji-Lu-Yu was officially established on August 20, 1945, in Chian Village, Xian County—the highest-level dispatched agency responsible for unified leadership over party, government, and military affairs across the Jinji-Lu-Yu border region. Its historical significance is profound:

• ✅ Strategic Turning Point: After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Central Bureau coordinated operations including the Shangdang Campaign (September–October 1945) and the Handan Campaign (October–November 1945), successfully repelling the first large-scale offensive launched by Kuomintang forces against the North China liberated area;
• ✅ Institutional Foundation: Oversaw the formulation of the Provisional Regulations on Land Use in the Jinji-Lu-Yu Border Region (1946), providing a crucial practical model for nationwide land reform;
• ✅ Cradle of Journalism and Education: Founded the predecessor of People's Daily—the People's Daily (Jinji-Lu-Yu Edition)—which debuted on May 15, 1946, in Chian Village; established the Northern University in November 1945, with Fan Wenlan as its first president, training over ten thousand cadres;
• ✅ Historic Transition: Completed its historical mission in May 1948 with the establishment of the Central Committee of the CPC North China Bureau, relocating its headquarters northward to Xibaipo, Pingshan County.

💡 Historical Note: Chian Village, located along the Qingzhang River in the heart of the Taihang Mountains, features secluded terrain and simple local customs. It was once praised by Liu Bocheng as “the Little Yan’an of North China.”

🏘️ Architectural Layout: Revolutionary Spaces Within Traditional Dwellings

The site comprises a typical group of late-Qing dynasty courtyard-style dwellings from the Taihang Mountain region, built following the natural topography with brick-and-timber construction, gray tile roofs, and stone foundations. Three courtyards remain, covering approximately 2,800 square meters:

• 🌿 Environmental Features: The courtyard preserves an azalea tree planted by Deng Xiaoping in spring 1946, and a stone screen wall inscribed with “Seek Truth from Facts” by Liu Bocheng during reconstruction in 1947. Nearby, the General’s Hill cemetery houses the ashes of 16 prominent military leaders including Liu Bocheng, Xu Xiangqian, and Huang Zhen, forming a three-in-one memorial complex of “site—cemetery—museum.”

🏺 Cultural Relics and Exhibitions: Solidified Historical Memory

The collection includes over 1,200 artifacts (sets), among which 17 are designated as Grade I cultural relics. Notable items include:

• 📜 Handwritten Original of the Central Bureau’s Directive on Party Rectification (1947) — the only surviving copy nationwide, documenting the institutionalization of party building in the liberated areas;
• 📰 First Issue of People’s Daily (May 15, 1946, lead-printed edition) — the origin of the first central-level official newspaper named People’s Daily under the Communist Party of China;
• 🪑 Elmwood Desk and Wicker Chair Used by Deng Xiaoping — the desk bears the inscription “December 1946,” used when he chaired the drafting of the Outline for Economic and Financial Work in North China;
• 📚 Handwritten Manuscript of Lectures on New Democracy (1946 notebook by student Li Zhimin) — reflecting the reality of wartime higher education.

The permanent exhibition titled Monument of the Taihang Mountains: Historical Display of the Central Bureau of the CPC in Jinji-Lu-Yu unfolds along four thematic threads: “Decision-Making, Construction, Talent Cultivation, and Foundational Development.” It integrates holographic projections, oral history audio recordings (featuring interviews with 23 surviving veterans), and dynamic electronic sand tables demonstrating campaign movements.

🌟 Cultural Significance: A Multidimensional Historical Benchmark

• 🔹 Political Value: A key site where the Communist Party transitioned from guerrilla warfare to regular warfare and from rural base areas to regional governance during the early stages of the War of Liberation;
• 🔹 Institutional Value: Pioneered systems such as the border region consultative assembly, judicial independence (establishment of the Border Region High Court), and centralized financial management—providing direct experience for the future governance structure of the People’s Republic of China;
• 🔹 Spiritual Value: The “Chian Spirit” (firm belief, seeking truth from facts, hard struggle, people-centered commitment) has been listed as a key project for red gene inheritance in Hebei Province’s first batch;
• 🔹 Academic Value: Houses a complete archive of 378 volumes (preserved at Xian County Archives), serving as irreplaceable primary source material for research on the party’s regional governance system, wartime journalism history, and higher education history.

🧭 Travel Tips: Recommendations for Immersive Experience

• 🚶‍♂️ Recommended Route: Central Bureau Site → Former Residence of the Jinji-Lu-Yu Military Region Command (2-minute walk) → General’s Hill → Xian County Eighth Route Army 129th Division Memorial Hall (8-minute drive) → Qingzhang River Red Culture Trail (combining ecological and cultural elements)
• 📸 Photo Spots:
  • Azalea tree outside Deng Xiaoping’s office window (best in spring bloom season)
  • Interactive touchscreen displaying handwritten masthead near the People’s Daily first issue display case
  • Stele inscribed with Marshal Liu Bocheng’s calligraphy at the top of the 100-step staircase on General’s Hill
• 🍃 Nearby Integration: Combine with Xian County Nüwa Palace (National Intangible Cultural Heritage Site) and Taihang Five-Finger Mountain Geological Park to design a three-day educational tour blending “red culture, ancient architecture, and geology”
• 🚌 Transportation Guide: Take bus K506 from Handan East High-Speed Railway Station to Xian County Bus Terminal, then transfer to the “Chian Special Line”; for drivers, navigate to “Former Residence of the Central Bureau of the CPC in Jinji-Lu-Yu”—a green parking lot is available at the village entrance.

🌟 Visitor Tip: Free guided tours offered daily (four sessions); advance booking required 30 minutes prior. A red-themed reading room is available for visitors to browse the oral history collection Memories of Chian and high-resolution facsimiles of the first issue of People’s Daily.

This content is compiled based on History of the Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China in Jinji-Lu-Yu (CCP History Press, 2021), archival materials from Xian County Cultural Relics Preservation Office, and field research. Data current as of June 2024.