Jimu news reporter Huang Zhigang
Correspondent Huang Yi Xie Yong
Video production by Huang Zhigang
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At the foot of Shishou Peach Blossom Mountain in Hubei Province, three quaint and green yellow core trees have stood majestically for more than 400 years, witnessing the turbulence of history, and even more witnessing the glorious years of the agrarian revolution period and the revolutionary base area in western Hunan and Hubei. 92 years ago, 3 yellow-core trees had a resounding name, and Marshal He Long named it "Red Army Tree".
On August 1, 2019, the "Red Army Tree" flourished and green. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
"In the future, we must protect the 'Red Army Tree', the revolution has succeeded, and it is a very good education for young dolls." In 1930, because of Marshal He Long's instructions, three generations of the ancestors of Liu Daoming, the head of the stone, relayed to guard the "Red Army Tree" and passed on the red culture and faith tree.
On August 1, 2019, Liu Keshu inspected the health of the trunk of the former "Red Army Tree" carved slogan. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
In 1988, after Liu Daoming's death, his son Liu Keshu inherited his father's legacy and silently guarded the "Red Army Tree", which has been 35 years. The first thing every day, Liu Keshu checks the health status of the "Red Army Tree", loosens the soil, fertilizes and waters the tree, and cleans the environmental hygiene of the park.
Under the meticulous care of Liu Keshu, the 400-year-old quaint and vigorous "Red Army Tree" is lush and majestic. The revolutionary history witnessed by the "Red Army Tree" is well known to him. On holidays, he also explains the historical story of the "Red Army Tree" to tourists. Guarding the "Red Army Tree" is Liu Keshu's greatest wish in this life, and he vowed to guard the "Red Army Tree" to the end and the revolutionary will of the revolutionary martyrs to the end. Today, his son Liu Jun has also joined the ranks of tree protectors.
The 400-year-old tree is still tall and tall
In winter, the stone-headed peach blossom mountain, surrounded by mountains, is full of ethereal silence. The slanting sun sprinkles on the mountains, and the mountains are getting thicker and thicker, full of melting warmth. On January 17, a reporter from Jimu News drove to Lihuashan Village in Taohuashan Town, a village at the foot of the mountain, adjacent to Huarong County in Hunan Province.
At the entrance of the Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park in Shishou City, more than 40 plaques awarded by various departments at all levels are particularly eye-catching. Because the memorial garden condenses the glory years of the revolutionary base area in western Hunan and Hubei, primary and secondary schools in Shishou City have set up revolutionary traditional education bases here. Because of the glorious history of the three "Red Army Trees", many tourists from Shishou and Huarong, Hunan Province, flocked to receive the baptism of revolutionary traditional education.
On January 17, 2022, Liu Keshu told a red story to his grandson and granddaughter under the "Red Army Tree". (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
The "Red Army Tree" originally belonged to the Yellow Core Tree. The Jimu News reporter stood under the tree and saw that with the change of seasons, the leaves of the three yellow core trees had all fallen off, and the branches that snaked upward were sparsely distributed, forming a freehand painting with fine lines.
Liu Keshu, a 70-year-old tree keeper this year, said that the yellow core tree is already a rare tree species in the local area, and at present, only a small number of tree species can be traced in the deep mountain dense forest of Taohua Mountain, and the tree type is small. The three yellow core trees in front of you are about 30 meters high, and the trunk needs to be surrounded by two people. According to forestry experts, the three yellow-core trees are more than 400 years old.
After 400 years of wind and rain, the simple and vigorous yellow core tree is still lush and majestic. Liu Keshu said that in the middle of summer, the three yellow core trees are like three giant umbrellas that are stretched out, and the dense branches and leaves can cover the sky.
The two yellow-core trees on the south side form a leaning posture, and the crowns of the two trees are interlaced. Although it is winter, you can still feel its upward growth.
On January 17, 2022, Liu Keshu was maintaining the "Red Army Tree". (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
A yellow-core tree on the north side is slightly depressed, and Liu Keshu said that due to the damage of termites and other pests, some rot has appeared at the root of the tree. However, because these three yellow-core trees have special historical significance, forestry experts have specially carried out on-site consultations, and selected horticultural special agents for termite extermination, tree sterilization and antiseptic treatment.
On January 17, 2022, Liu Keshu sprayed insecticide on the "Red Army Tree". (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
At present, under the joint care of the tree keeper Liu Keshu and the administrator of the memorial garden, the weakened and endangered yellow core tree on the north side is gradually carrying out rescue measures such as root system, trunk and branch rejuvenation, and supporting soil sterilization and soil improvement treatment in order to achieve healthy survival of the tree. "It's rare to be rejuvenated after more than 400 years." Liu Keshu said.
On January 17, 2022, Liu Keshu inspected the erosion of the "Red Army Tree" by termites. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
92 years ago Marshal He Long named "Red Army Tree"
On the thick trunk of a yellow-core tree on the north side, the "wound" left by the peeling is still not healed. On the trunk, the traces of propaganda slogans left by the agrarian revolution are still faintly visible. Standing under the yellow core tree, Liu Keshu told the story of the "Red Army Tree" to the Jimu news reporter.
In March 1928, Zhou Yiqun, head of the Special Committee of Xiang'exi (Northwest Hunan), came to Taohuashan to carry out revolutionary activities under the yellow core tree. The Red Guards brushed the trees with lime and paint and wrote "Long live the Chinese Communist Party!" "Long live the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army!" and other revolutionary slogans.
In October 1930, Deng Zhongxia and He Long led the Red Second Army to march south, and the garrison was transferred. One day, Accompanied by Deng Boxun, He Long came to Taohua Mountain to inspect the work of "expanding red". At this time, the Red Guards were conducting intensive training, and the red flag was flying on the hill, and He Long walked to a row of yellow-core trees on the hill that covered the sky, looked and looked, touched and touched, and said happily: "These trees are also heroes of the revolution!" We have carved propaganda slogans on trees, camped under trees, and now we are expanding red training here. In the future, the 'Red Army Tree' must be well protected, the revolution has succeeded, and it is a good education for young dolls. ”
"Mission accomplished!" 92 years ago, Liu Daoming, the father of Liu Keshu, who was then chairman of the Taohuashan Soviet government, made a solemn promise.
In 1931, the Kuomintang 's heavy troops "encircled and suppressed" the Taohuashan Soviet District, and under the reactionary slogan of "washing the Eastern Mountains in blood and seeing the trees cut down three times," the reactionary "Qingxiang Brigade" and the "Homecoming Regiment" frantically slaughtered the revolutionary people and destroyed all traces of the revolution.
The wise masses of the people in the Taohuashan Area used mud ash to smooth out the slogan on the "Red Army Tree" and carved cracks in the bark with a knife, so that the reactionary regiment could not understand the truth and falsehood, and only then did the "Red Army Tree" be well preserved.
After the founding of New China, in order to fulfill a promise made to Marshal He Long that year, Liu Daoming gave up the work arranged by the organization, did not want wages, and always obliged to guard the tree. Liu Keshu said that the "tree" in his name is related to the "Red Army tree".
"Mission accomplished!" In 1988, when Liu Daoming asked his son if he could succeed him and continue to complete the task of guarding the tree before his death, Liu Keshu was resolute. That year, liu Keshu, who was 36 years old at the time, inherited his father's legacy, resigned from the post of director of the welfare home, and came to the "Red Army Tree" to take care of the "Red Army Tree" with 7 managers. Due to the remoteness, others have left one after another, and only Liu Keshu has insisted on it so far.
In 2002, in order to facilitate the care of the "Red Army Tree", Liu Keshu simply moved his home from two kilometers away to the Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park, and set up a bed in the gatehouse of the memorial park to guard the "Red Army Tree" around the clock.
35 years of guardianship of the tree of faith that witnessed the history of the red
Every morning, when the first rays of sunlight sprinkled on the lush canopy of the "Red Army Tree", Liu Keshu began the day's work, wearing a straw hat and holding a large broom, shuttling through the Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Garden, observing the changes in the "Red Army Tree", and regularly watering, pruning, insecticide, and weeding the trees.
On August 1, 2019, a bird's eye view of the Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park in Shishou City. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
On the side of the "Red Army Tree" is the tomb of the general Shuai, and the heroic spirits of Marshal He Long and The Founding General of Shi Shou are also buried. Every year Chinese New Year's Eve, Liu Keshu still guards the gatehouse of the Red Army Tree Memorial Park and cannot eat the New Year dinner with his family.
He said that every year on the day of Chinese New Year's Eve, from the morning onwards, many generals and descendants will come from all over the country to visit the graves, and everyone will arrive at the Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park at different times. He often received from morning to night, accompanying the general's descendants to sue about the revolutionary years of their deceased ancestors.
"I am guarding not only the tree, but also the red spiritual home of the sons and daughters of the stone head, and I want to pass on the red tradition from generation to generation." Liu Keshu said that guarding the "Red Army Tree" is his greatest wish in this life. "When I can't walk, my son will take over to guard the tree, continue the red bloodline, and inherit the red spirit."
Liu Keshu named his son "Liu Jun", also to commemorate the "Red Army Tree". Since he was a child, Liu Jun listened to his grandfather and father tell the story of the "Red Army Tree". To this day, three generations of grandchildren are relaying the protection of these three glorious yellow core trees.
On July 1, 2019, the masses of party members carried out red education at the Shishou Red Army Tree Revolutionary Martyrs Memorial Park. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
Liu Jun said that around the "Red Army Tree" in his memory, there was nothing but small pavilions and courtyard walls. "At that time, my parents built a simple shack next to the 'Red Army Tree', cleaning the courtyard and trimming the trees and flowers twice a day in the morning and evening."
In the past 35 years of guarding the "Red Army Tree", Liu Keshu's daily life has been poor and monotonous, but he feels very fulfilled. Today, with his two sideburns, he is also employed as a volunteer docent for teenagers, telling the story of the red that took place in the "Red Army Tree".
On August 1, 2019, the masses of party members carried out theme party day activities under the "Red Army Tree". (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
On the eve of "July 1st" last year, in just 6 days, Liu Keshu received more than 6,000 party members from 296 party organizations and came here to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the party.
Liu Keshu's grandson and granddaughter have heard about it since childhood, and they also have unique feelings for the "Red Army Tree". Liu Jun even named his son "Liu Siyuan", which means "drinking water and thinking of the source, not forgetting the kindness of the Communist Party." ”
On January 17, 2022, Liu Keshu told a red story to his grandson and granddaughter. (Photo by Jimu News reporter Huang Zhigang)
Liu Jun's daughter Liu Chenxi wrote in the composition: "The annual rings of the 'Red Army Tree' have circled round and round, and Grandpa has guarded the 'Red Army Tree' year after year. Grandpa guarded the red gene passed down from generation to generation. Winter to spring, Grandpa also became a tree, and the 'Red Army Tree' stood proudly together! ”
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