Ruijin

Ruijin, the "Red Capital", seat of the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic, with Yeping, the Red Well and Yunshi Mountain, the "first mountain of the Long March", and the ancient city of Changting next door to the east.

Ruijin lies in the east of Ganzhou in Jiangxi Province, on the western foothills of the Wuyi Mountains at the border of Jiangxi and Fujian, with the Mianjiang River running through the city. In November 1931 the First National Congress of Soviets was held at Yeping, establishing the Provisional Central Government of the Chinese Soviet Republic, and Ruijin became the "Red Capital". In October 1934 the Central Red Army set out from the Ruijin and Yudu area on the Long March, which is why the place is also called the "Cradle of the Republic".

Areas to explore: ① the Yeping revolutionary sites northeast of the city, including the venue of the First Congress of Soviets, the former Provisional Central Government, the Red Army Martyrs' Memorial Tower and the reviewing stand; ② Shazhouba in the western suburbs, with the Red Well, the venue of the Second Congress of Soviets (the Provisional Central Government Auditorium), Mao Zedong's former residence and the former offices of various ministries; ③ the south of the city, with the Central Revolutionary Base Area History Museum and the Chinese Soviet Memorial Park; ④ Yunshi Mountain in the west, the "first mountain of the Long March" and the last base of the central organs before the Long March; ⑤ nature and surroundings, including the Luohan Rock Danxia scenic area north of the city, the ancient city of Changting in Fujian (Tingzhou prefectural city, about 40 km) just to the east, and Hanxian Rock in Huichang to the south. The memorial park at the starting point of the Central Red Army's Long March in Yudu is covered under the Ganzhou destination, about 1 hour by car from Ruijin.

The climate is subtropical monsoon, and March–May and October–November are the most pleasant; summers are hot and rainy, and study tour groups cluster in the summer vacation and on holidays. Getting there: Ruijin Station has high-speed trains toward Ganzhou, Longyan and Xiamen, and it is about 2 hours by car from downtown Ganzhou; a taxi from the city center to Yeping or Shazhouba takes about 15 minutes. Plan 1–2 days: one day for the revolutionary sites and museum, and half a day for Luohan Rock or Changting. The main revolutionary venues are free, though some require real-name reservations, and museums are usually closed on Mondays. Hakka food includes beef soup, yellow rice cakes and Ruijin rice noodles.

Top sights

• Ruijin Revolutionary Sites – The seat of the provisional central government of the Chinese Soviet Republic. Yeping, Shazhouba, the Red Well and the Central Revolutionar…
• Red Well, Shazhouba – A well dug by Mao Zedong and local soldiers and civilians. Made famous by the school text 'When Drinking Water, Remember the One Who Dug th…
• History Museum of the Central Revolutionary Base – A national first-class museum that presents the history of the Central Soviet Area systematically, with rich collections of artifacts, reco…
• Second National Soviet Congress Hall – The site of the Second National Congress of Soviets in January 1934. The octagonal hall, shaped like a Red Army cap, is a landmark of Shazh…
• Chinese Soviet Memorial Park – A memorial park in southern Ruijin with the Chinese Soviet Memorial Tripod, a martyrs' memorial hall and a forest of monuments. It is often…
• Yunshishan (First Mountain of the Long March) – The central authorities' last base before the Long March. The ancient Yunshan Temple on the summit once served as the office of the provisi…
• Luohanyan Scenic Area – A Danxia landform scenic area north of Ruijin, with red cliffs, bamboo forests and Chenshi Lake. It is a national scenic area.
• Changting Ancient City – The ancient Tingzhou prefectural city in Changting, Fujian, with its old city walls, Diantou Street and the Sanyuan Pavilion. The Hakka cap…
• Hanxianyan Scenic Area – A Danxia mountain scenic area in Huichang County, southern Jiangxi, where strange peaks and rocks alternate with Taoist and Buddhist temple…

Itineraries

• Red History Route: Ganzhou, Ruijin & Jinggangshan – Start from the Song Dynasty walled city of Ganzhou and travel through Yudu and Ruijin to Jinggangshan, tracing the crad…
• Southern Jiangxi Grand Loop: Hakka Heritage & Danxia Landforms – Starting from Ganzhou, this self-drive loop covers terraced fields, Danxia landforms, revolutionary sites, the source o…