Jiangxi’s Xingguo: Decoding the Model County’s Revolutionary Legacy

In Jiangxi's Xingguo, a group of Chinese and international youth use their cameras to explore the legends of this “Model County.” The stories here speak of faith, sacrifice, and perseverance.

Xingguo Generals Park
Photo by Zhang Kai

Legacy in Numbers

Xingguo is renowned as the Generals County, having produced 56 founding generals of the People's Republic of China. Even more striking, approximately 93,000 locals joined the revolutionary forces, with 23,179 sacrificing their lives. “Along each kilometer of the Long March route, one soldier who hailed from Xingguo laid down his life,” stated Chen Liping, an interpreter at the Xingguo Red Resources Protection and Development Center.

Exhibition Hall on the Good Conduct of Soviet Cadres
Photo by Zhang Kai

Ballads of Integrity

A folk rhyme that has circulated for 90 years captures the era’s spirit: “Cadres brought their own food to work, labored in straw sandals by day, and visited the poor by lantern light at night.” This genuine bond between cadres and the people inspired nearly 100,000 Xingguo youth to enlist.

Bronze Statue of the “Beggar Chairman”
Photo by Zhang Kai

The Unyielding Beggar Chairman

The tale of Liu Qiyao stands out. As chairman of the Jiangxi Soviet Government, he became separated from his unit during battle. Though entrusted with a large amount of revolutionary funds, he chose to beg along the streets rather than spend a single coin of public money. After three arduous years, he returned all the funds intact.

“These stories remind me that no matter how tough the journey, we must persevere,” shared Lu Jiayi, an international youth participant.

From the generals’ resilience to the chairman’s loyalty, Xingguo’s real stories reveal the power of conviction. On this sacred red land, the spirit of the Model County continues to write new chapters in the modern era.
(Text by Wang Jie)