The Zhaojin Spirit: Spiritual Driving Force for the Existence and Development of the Northwestern Revolutionary Base Area

The Northwestern Revolutionary Base Area was the “only remaining fruit” of the Chinese Communist Party’s revolutionary base areas during the Agrarian Revolutionary War. The Shaanxi-Gansu Border Revolutionary Base Area centered on Zhaojin was the first attempt by the Party organization in the northwest to establish a base area in the mountains; the revolutionary struggle forged the great Zhaojin Spirit. This is the ideological and cultural quintessence condensed from the early revolutionary struggles in the northwest, especially the struggle of the Zhaojin Revolutionary Base Area. It became the spiritual driving force running through the northwestern revolutionary struggle and a precious cultural resource for the Party’s revolution, construction, and reform. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during an inspection in Shaanxi in 2015: “At that time, the older generation of proletarian revolutionaries could set foot in Zhaojin precisely because the mass foundation was good; they could maintain close ties with the masses, and the masses here could support the revolution. Now our Party must rely on the masses, and we must inherit and carry forward the Zhaojin Spirit. If we can do these things, our cause will be as solid as a city wall.”

西北革命根据地是中国共产党土地革命战争时期“硕果仅存”的革命根据地。以照金为中心的陕甘边革命根据地，是西北党组织第一次在山地里建立根据地的尝试，革命斗争熔铸伟大照金精神。这是西北早期革命斗争，特别是照金革命根据地斗争的思想文化精华凝聚，是贯穿西北革命斗争的精神动力，成为党的革命、建设和改革的珍贵文化资源。习近平总书记2015年在陕西考察时指出：“当时老一辈无产阶级革命家能够在照金落脚，就是因为群众基础好，他们能够密切联系群众，这里的群众能够支持革命，现在我们党要依靠群众，要把照金精神传承好、发扬好，如果能做到这些的话，我们的事业就固若金汤了。”

The Zhaojin Spirit was produced and formed in the harsh environment, arduous struggle, and baptism of blood and fire in the northwest region. In October 1927, the Party organization in the northwest launched the Qingjian Uprising, pulling back the curtain on the armed struggle against the reactionary Kuomintang. In May 1928, it launched the Weihua Uprising, and armed struggle developed rapidly. More than 70 “mutinies” and student movements in Guanzhong, the Shaanxi-Gansu border, and northern Shaanxi, along with “jiao nong” struggles in urban and rural areas, erupted one after another, terrifying the reactionary authorities. In October 1930, Liu Zhidan established the Nanniang Guerrilla Detachment; from then on, the Chinese Communist Party had armed forces in the northwest, which were subsequently reorganized into the Northwest Anti-Imperialist Allied Army and the Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Detachment of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. In March 1932, the Sicunyuan Red Regime in the Shaanxi-Gansu Border was established, but because it lacked strong military support, it existed for only 22 days. Based on the experience and lessons of the Red Army guerrillas’ maneuvers, the balance of forces between the enemy and ourselves, and factors such as geography and landforms, the final choice was to establish a revolutionary base area centered on the Zhaojin region. In December 1932, the Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Detachment was reorganized into the Second Regiment of the 26th Army of the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army; in the spring of 1933, a revolutionary base area centered on Zhaojin in Yao County was opened up; by the autumn of that year, the base area spanned the borders of Yao County, Xunyi County, Chunhua County, and other counties, covering an area of about 2,500 square kilometers. Soon after, the base area was lost. Under the leadership of Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, Xi Zhongxun, and others, the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Revolutionary Base Area centered on Nanniang was successfully opened up in January 1934. On this basis, it further developed into the Shaanxi-Gansu Revolutionary Base Area, providing a foothold for the Party Central Committee and all routes of the Long March Red Army, and a starting point for the main force of the Eighth Route Army to march to the front line of the Anti-Japanese War, becoming the only intact revolutionary base area nationwide in the late period of the Agrarian Revolutionary War.

照金精神是在西北地区险恶的环境、艰苦的斗争、血与火的洗礼中产生形成的。西北的党组织1927年10月发动清涧起义，拉开了反对国民党反动派武装斗争的序幕。1928年5月发动渭华起义，武装斗争呈迅猛发展之势。关中、陕甘边、陕北大大小小的70多次“兵变”和学生运动、城乡“交农”斗争此起彼伏，令反动当局心惊肉跳。1930年10月，刘志丹建立南梁游击队，从此中国共产党在西北有了武装力量，进而改建为西北反帝同盟军、中国工农红军陕甘游击队，1932年3月创建陕甘边寺村塬红色政权，但由于没有强有力的军事力量支持只存在了22天。基于红军游击队转战经验教训和敌我力量对比、地理地貌等诸多因素，最终选择在以照金为中心区域建立革命根据地。1932年12月陕甘游击队改编为中国工农红军第二十六军第二团，1933年春开辟了以耀县照金为中心的革命根据地，同年秋根据地横跨耀县、旬邑、淳化等县边界，面积约2500平方公里。不久，根据地失守，在刘志丹、谢子长、习仲勋等领导下，于1934年1月又成功开辟出以南梁为中心的陕甘边革命根据地，在此基础上再进一步发展为陕甘革命根据地，为党中央和各路长征红军提供了落脚点，为后来八路军主力奔赴抗日前线提供了出发点，成为土地革命战争后期全国“硕果仅存”的完整革命根据地。

As an important component of the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists, the connotation of the Zhaojin Spirit is: “firm conviction in loyalty to the Party, heroic spirit in tenacious struggle, and work style of taking root among the masses.” It reflects the belief ideals and pursuits, the revolutionary optimistic attitude toward the world, and the wisdom, ability, and style of the Communists and revolutionaries in the northwest, and is a true manifestation of the Communists’ original aspiration and founding mission and their excellent character.

作为中国共产党人精神谱系的重要组成部分，照金精神的内涵是：“忠诚于党的坚定信念，顽强斗争的英雄气概，扎根群众的工作作风。”它反映了西北的共产党人和革命者的信仰理想追求、革命乐观主义的致世态度、智慧能力风格，是共产党人初心使命和优秀品格的真切体现。

The firm conviction in loyalty to the Party embodies the belief ideals and pursuits of the Communists and revolutionaries in the northwest. In the years before the revolutionary flames of Zhaojin were kindled, several armed uprisings such as those in Qingjian, Weihua, and Xunyi all failed. After leading the failed Weihua Uprising, Liu Zhidan engaged in military work but suffered repeated setbacks, even ending up in prison; yet his will became stronger and he grew more courageous in the face of adversity. He said, “How can there be no failure in revolution? If you fail, do it again.” When Xie Zichang took the oath to join the Party, he said excitedly: “I want to fight for communism all my life.” Xi Zhongxun joined the Party in prison, affirming that “the Communist Party is good; anyway, I will follow the Communist Party to the end!” In the arduous process of establishing Soviet areas and revolutionary base areas, underground struggle was tough and dangerous, the guerrillas went through life and death on their maneuvers, and many experienced the pain of imprisonment, the danger of soldier mutinies, the difficulty of establishing political power, the challenges of a powerful enemy, the pain of failure, and the risk of death—especially the losses in the Miaowan Battle and the Yuyuan Battle. It was precisely through their rock-solid loyalty to the Party and their unwavering conviction in the Party’s cause that they created the first mountain base area in the northwest. Later, due to interference from the “leftist” erroneous line within the Party, the 26th Red Army’s southward march to Weihua ended in failure; it suffered several large-scale “encirclement and suppression” campaigns by the Kuomintang army, leading to the fall of Xuejiazhai. But the northwestern Communists represented by Liu Zhidan, Xie Zichang, and Xi Zhongxun, relying on their loyalty to the Party and their firm conviction and confidence, persisted in tenacious struggle and ultimately ushered in a new dawn of victory.

忠诚于党的坚定信念体现了西北的共产党人和革命者的信仰理想追求。在点燃照金革命烽火之前的几年里，清涧、渭华、旬邑等几次武装起义都失败了，刘志丹领导渭华起义失败后，搞兵运也几经挫折，甚至身陷囹圄，但是他意志弥坚，越挫越勇。他说：干革命还能有不失败的时候？失败了再干。谢子长入党宣誓时激动地说：我要为共产主义奋斗终身。习仲勋在狱中入党，认定“共产党好，反正要跟着共产党干到底！”在创建苏区、革命根据地的艰苦奋斗历程中，地下斗争艰辛多险，游击队转战出生入死，很多人历经牢狱之苦、兵暴之险、建政之艰、强敌之难、失败之痛、性命之虞，特别是庙湾战斗、芋园战斗的失利。正是凭着对党坚如磐石的忠诚，对党的事业的坚定信念，他们创建出西北的第一块山区根据地。之后，由于党内“左”倾错误路线的干扰，导致红二十六军南下渭华失败；遭受国民党军数次重兵“围剿”，招致薛家寨失陷，但是以刘志丹、谢子长、习仲勋等为代表的西北共产党人凭着对党的忠诚和坚定的信念信心，坚持顽强斗争，最终迎来新的胜利曙光。

The heroic spirit of tenacious struggle embodies the revolutionary optimistic attitude toward the world of the Communists and revolutionaries in the northwest. The revolutionary struggle for the freedom and happiness of the laboring masses won deep support from the masses; the masses loved the Red Army, believed in the Communist Party, and consciously followed the Party and the Red Army. This was the source of confidence for the heroic spirit of the Communists and revolutionaries in the northwest. The Party organization sent Wang Taiji, division commander of the 42nd Division of the 26th Red Army, back to his hometown in Henan to engage in military work. Passing through Tongrun Town in Chunhua County, he was arrested due to the betrayal of a traitor. Before his execution, he wrote a “Poem on Dying,” which vividly expressed his revolutionary heroism in the face of death: “This head, let it be cut off; this body, let it be trampled; all is left to nature.” Xi Zhongxun’s life motto, “Fight all one’s life, be happy all one’s life; strive every day, be happy every day,” is a concise expression of the revolutionary optimistic attitude toward the world. Under the critical situation of the 26th Red Army fighting a bloody battle in the Qinling Mountains, the Chenjiapo Conference discussed and formed the strategic policy of rebuilding the main Red Army force, extensively developing guerrilla warfare, and opening up new base areas. Later, Zhou Enlai highly appraised this, saying: “I see this as Marxism of northern Shaanxi.” Recalling the history of revolutionary struggle, Xi Zhongxun pointed out that the struggle in the Zhaojin base area “did not blindly rely on higher-level instructions and abstract dogmas; it was good at combining the Party’s correct line and policies with the actual conditions in Shaanxi and Gansu, correctly assessing the enemy and our own situations, deciding policies according to objective conditions, and independently handling major issues, demonstrating political maturity and originality.” The Red Army commanders and fighters’ spirit of fearing no sacrifice, sacrificing life for righteousness, and selfless great self is moving. In the battle to defend Xuejiazhai, more than 400 guerrillas who held their positions, along with personnel from the repair shop, clothing factory, Red Army hospital, and logistics units, fought fiercely for five days and nights, preferring death to surrender. Finally, the female guerrilla fighters pulled hand grenades and died together with the enemy; several female guerrilla fighters jumped off a cliff and died a heroic death.

顽强斗争的英雄气概体现了西北的共产党人和革命者革命乐观主义致世态度。为了劳苦大众自由与幸福的革命斗争，深得群众拥护，群众热爱红军、相信共产党、自觉地跟党和红军走。这是西北的共产党人和革命者英雄气概的底气所在。党组织派红二十六军四十二师王泰吉师长回河南老家从事兵运工作，途经淳化县通润镇因叛徒出卖被捕。临刑前他写下《绝命诗》，视死如归的革命豪情跃然纸上：“这头颅任你割断，这肉体任你踏践，一切听自然。”习仲勋激励自己“战斗一生，快乐一生，天天奋斗，天天快乐”的人生警句，是革命乐观主义致世态度的简约表达。在红二十六军浴血秦岭的危急情势下，陈家坡会议讨论形成重建主力红军、广泛开展游击战争、开辟根据地新区域的战略方针。后来周恩来高度评价说：“我看这就是陕北的马克思主义。”习仲勋回忆革命斗争历史时指出：照金根据地斗争，“不盲目依靠上级指示和抽象教条，善于把党的正确路线方针同陕甘的实际相结合，正确地估量敌情我情，按照客观情况去决定自己的政策，独立地处理重大问题，表现出政治上的成熟和独创”。红军指战员不怕牺牲、舍生取义的无我大我精神，可歌可泣。在保卫薛家寨的战斗中，坚守阵地的游击队员和修械所、被服厂、红军医院及后勤人员400余人，持续激战5昼夜，宁死不屈，最后女游击队员们拉响手榴弹与敌人同归于尽，数名女游击队员跳下悬崖，壮烈牺牲。

The work style of taking root among the masses embodies the wisdom, ability, and style of the Communists and revolutionaries in the northwest. Xi Zhongxun carried out revolutionary struggle in the Rangniu Village area of Zhaojin, and Li Miaozhai in the Yuyuan Village area of Zhaojin, working village by village and household by household, persisting in ideological guidance, propagating and educating the masses, building consensus, mobilizing and relying on the masses to carry out people’s guerrilla warfare, and expanding guerrilla areas in a planned way, reflecting the working method and style of taking root among the masses. People said: “The Communist Party has great ability, it is wholeheartedly for us common folks; everyone is willing to follow the Communist Party.” The common people in Zhaojin believed in the Communist Party, loved the Red Army, and enthusiastically joined the army to take part in the revolution. Close ties with the masses were the prerequisite for expanding the mass base and forming a broad united front. Facing the reality of various armed forces interlocking and the revolutionary forces being relatively weak, Liu Zhidan and others believed that the Red Army guerrillas could not make enemies everywhere and isolate themselves; they should adopt sensible and flexible methods to win over and unite all local armed forces for their own use. He established friendly relations and united front relationships with local militias around Zhaojin, such as Xia Laoyao in Miaowan, He Shixing in Jianzhuang, Jia Shicai in Haozuipu, and Li Xuzeng in Taibai Town, by mutual agreement. Our army once gave a certain amount of captured silver dollars and livestock to the militias, asking them to help us purchase bullets, medicine, and grain, shelter the wounded and sick, and gather intelligence about the enemy. This not only defused the hostile forces our army might face but also facilitated our army’s actions and helped solve many practical difficulties. During the period of the Shaanxi-Gansu Guerrilla Detachment, correctly handling the relationship with the Miaowan militia under Xia Yushan brought convenience to the actions of the nascent revolutionary armed forces. When the 26th Red Army was maneuvering in the Qinling Mountains, the united front relationship played an important role in emergencies. In the winter of 1933, the Red Army guerrillas lacked clothing and food; their physical strength was greatly depleted, and many were infected with typhoid fever, seriously ill. Jia Shicai, the head of the Haozuipu militia, received a letter from Liu Zhidan and secretly had the wounded and sick arranged to recuperate in a cave deep in the mountain forest. After they recovered, they returned to the unit.

扎根群众的工作作风体现了西北的共产党人和革命者的智慧能力风格。习仲勋在照金让牛村一带、李妙斋在照金芋园村一带先后开展革命斗争，一村一户的做工作，坚持思想引领，宣传教育群众、凝聚共识，发动依靠群众、开展人民游击战争，有计划地扩大游击区域，体现了扎根群众的工作方法与作风。人们说：“共产党本领大，一心为咱老百姓，大家都愿意跟共产党走。”照金的老百姓相信共产党，热爱红军，踊跃参军干革命。密切与群众的关系是扩大群众基础、形成广泛统一战线的前提。面对各种武装力量犬牙交错而革命力量又比较薄弱的实际，刘志丹等人认为红军游击队不能到处树敌而使自己陷于孤立，应采取理智灵活的方法争取和团结一切地方武装力量，为我所用。他与照金周围庙湾的夏老幺、建庄的贺世兴、蒿嘴铺的贾世才、太白镇的李旭增等地方民团相互约定友好相处，建立统战关系。我军曾将缴获的大洋、牲口等送给民团一定数量，请他们帮我们购买子弹、医药和粮食，掩护伤病员、探听敌情，既化解了我军可能面临的敌对力量，方便了我军行动，又帮助自身解决了许多实际困难。陕甘游击队时期正确处理了与庙湾夏玉山民团的关系，对初创的革命武装力量行动带来便利。红二十六军转战秦岭时，统战关系在紧急时发挥了重要作用。1933年冬，红军游击队缺衣少食、部队体力消耗极大，很多人染上了伤寒，病情严重。蒿嘴铺民团团总贾世才接到刘志丹信后，暗中派人将伤病员安排到深山密林中的一个山洞里疗养，痊愈后重返部队。

(The author is a specially appointed professor of the Shaanxi Zhaojin Cadre Academy.)

（作者系陕西照金干部学院特聘教授）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心