On March 25, 1949, Xiyuan Airport held a military parade ceremony, which was the first large-scale military parade since the founding of the People's Liberation Army, and also welcomed Mao Zedong and other party central leaders from Xibaipo to "enter Beijing to catch the examination".
During this time, Mao Zedong saw a tall woman, and he happily stepped forward to hold the woman's hand and said humorously: "Li Jianzhen, you are still alive." ”
It turned out that when the first national women's congress was held, Li Jianzhen, as a delegate attending the meeting, went to Xiyuan Airport with other delegates to welcome the arrival of Mao Zedong and other party central leaders. But she did not expect to be recognized by Chairman Mao at first sight and received cordially.
Chairman Mao and Li Jianzhen
Years later, Li Jianzhen still remembers this vividly, and described the mood of that moment in his memoirs: "At this moment, I am extremely excited to meet Chairman Mao alive at The Beiping Airport! ”
Why was Li Jianzhen recognized by Chairman Mao at a glance? What kind of legendary experience did she have?
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="89" > revolution change fate</h1>
Li Jianzhen was born in January 1907 in a small mountain village in Xiaosheng Township, Fengshun County, Guangdong Province, located in a remote mountainous area, closed and poor, Li Jianzhen's father was a sharecropper.
Such an extremely poor family environment made Li Jianzhen sell to the Zhu family in the neighboring village of Banana Head Wo as a child bride at a price of 8 hanging money in the first 8 months of his birth. Fortunately, the Zhu family treated her well, and her father-in-law and mother-in-law regarded Li Jianzhen as their own daughter, but she did not change her fate and still lived a poor and hopeless life.
Li Jianzhen began to help with various housework at the age of five or six, cooking on the fire, playing pig grass, fourteen-year-old husband went out to study, Li Jianzhen began to tie wooden rows, do farm work, tired from morning to night, the whole family is hungry and full.
Li Jianzhen
In the spring of 1926, Peng Pan, the leader of the early peasant movement, carried out revolutionary activities in the Fengshun area, staying at Li Jianzhen's house and holding various meetings in her backyard. At this time, Li Jianzhen was 19 years old, and she had already grown up dissatisfied with fate and the dark society, and when she heard Peng Pan talk about the revolutionary principle that "if the peasants want to live a good life, they need to organize themselves to work with the landlords and the old money", she was immediately attracted.
Li Jianzhen listened intently to Peng Pan about what an organization is, and Li Jianzhen also asked: "Can a rural girl like me organize?" Peng Pan replied, "Absolutely!" Peng Pan used his own revolutionary experience to inspire and educate the villagers.
Li Jianzhen was baptized by the spirit of the revolution for the first time, and his heart was very excited, and he could not calm down for a long time. In the next few days, Peng Pan left a very deep impression on Li Jianzhen, and he became li Jianzhen's enlightenment teacher on the road of revolution.
In the summer of the same year, under the active initiative of Peng Pan and others, peasant associations were established in the village of Baotouwo, where Li Jianzhen was located, and several neighboring villages. Li Jianzhen and some other women in the village also joined the farmers' association, and she became the leader of the farmers' association because of her boldness.
Soon, Li Jianzhen was elected as a member of the Farmers' Association and was responsible for propaganda work. From then on, she worked at home during the day and carried out revolutionary propaganda at night.
Although Li Jianzhen was illiterate, she did not affect the revolutionary propaganda work, and she could sing mountain songs, so compiling revolutionary principles into mountain songs and singing them everywhere became her unique way of propaganda.
Whenever Li Jianzhen's mountain song sounds, revolutionary principles and revolutionary enthusiasm will reach the ears of the masses, and the mass base of the revolution will increase. In the autumn of that year, peasant associations were established throughout Fengshun County, and the peasant movement was in full swing.
Li Jianzhen went deep into the base to investigate
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="104" > female cadres who can sing mountain songs</h1>
Li Jianzhen has a positive attitude and a brave style in his work, and is loved by the members of the farmers' association. At the same time, Li Jianzhen honed his revolutionary will through his work, raised his understanding and consciousness, joined the Communist Youth League in September 1926, and was soon promoted to secretary of the League branch.
In June 1927, Li Jianzhen joined the Communist Party of China and became an honorable member of the Communist Party. In the autumn of that year, the autumn harvest uprising led by Mao Zedong broke out, and under its influence, the Peasants of Fengshun also launched an uprising, and Li Jianzhen naturally did not hesitate to join it and became a leading figure.
The rebellious peasants overthrew the landlords and bullies, established their own armed organizations, and the movement was successful. After that, Li Jianzhen was elected vice chairman of the Fengshun County Revolutionary Committee, in charge of women's work, under her leadership, the masses continued to carry out the struggle against rent and interest rates, opened women's coaching classes, and trained grass-roots female cadres.
At the beginning of 1929, Li Jianzhen was transferred to the Dongjiang Special Committee as a women's commissar. Later, the Central County Committee of Raohepu of the CPC was established in the border area between Guangdong and Fujian in Tai Po, Raoping and Pinghe Counties, and Li Jianzhen served as the secretary of the Women's Committee of the Central County Committee.
At the end of the year, the Red Fourth Army entered Fujian for the second time, bringing about the rapid development of the revolutionary struggle in western Fujian, the red base areas showed a trend of continuous expansion, and the Soviet red power also continued to emerge.
He Chang
Under the excellent situation, there was a shortage of leading cadres in the Soviet power at all levels in the Western Fujian Soviet Region. Zhang Dingcheng, then a member of the CPC Fujian Special Committee and secretary of the Military Commission of the Special Commission, inspected the work at the Raohepu Central County Committee and found that Li Jianzhen, secretary of the Women's Committee of the County CPC Committee, had strong work ability, was good at mobilizing the masses, and implemented the central policy in place.
Therefore, in early January 1930, upon the nomination of Zhang Dingcheng, the Minxi Special Committee of the CPC formally decided to transfer Li Jianzhen to work in the organs of the Minxi Special Committee.
When Li Jianzhen first came to the Soviet Area, he was curious about everything and was very excited. In accordance with the instructions of the special committee, she learned about the local situation while going deep into the fields to mobilize the masses.
The masses in the Fujian-Gansu Mountains also had a tradition of singing mountain songs, so Li Jianzhen used his familiar "Mountain Song Propaganda Method" to attract the attention of the masses, and then publicized and mobilized the masses to join the Red Guards and the local Red Army, mobilized women to expand red grain, and made military shoes to support the front. With her efforts, in just a few months, female cadres who can sing mountain songs have become well-known in the Western Fujian Soviet District.
Li Jianzhen later recalled: "I sang mountain songs with the masses, regardless of each other, and soon became one with the masses, which is a good way to connect with the masses." ”
The Provisional County Committee of Tingdong of the CPC appointed Li Jianzhen as the secretary of the Provisional County CPC Committee of Tingdong. Li Jianzhen became the only female county party secretary in the red revolutionary base area of the country at that time.
Marshal Ye Jianying received Li Jianzhen
After Li Jianzhen became the secretary of the county party committee, he led the personnel of the county party committee to extensively mobilize the masses to carry out the agrarian revolution, and formed local armed forces to go to the countryside and into the mountains to suppress bandits. For a time in Tingdong County, the red flag of revolution flew everywhere, and the cry of revolution resounded in all directions.
In June 1930, Mao Zedong and Zhu De led the Red Fourth Army into Fujian for the third time and reached the territory of Changting and Shanghang.
One afternoon, Li Jianzhen was informed to rush to Tingzhou Gospel Hospital to report to the special committee. When she rushed all the way to Tingzhou, it was late. Zhang Dingcheng, the head of the special committee, told Li Jianzhen at the Gospel Hospital that she would report to Mao Zedong, the general political commissar of the Red Army.
As soon as they met, Mao Zedong quipped, "Oh, this is the female comrade who sang mountain songs to beat up local tycoons?" Mao Zedong's humor made Li Jianzhen's originally nervous mood relax. After calming down, Li Jianzhen reported in detail to Mao Zedong on the situation of the agrarian revolution in the Tingdong area.
When he heard Li Jianzhen tell the story of how he led the armed task force to the guerrilla areas to do mass mobilization work, and even went to the countryside to go into the mountains to suppress bandits, Mao Zedong smiled and praised: "You female comrade, it is not simple! Mao Zedong asked while listening, and from time to time he discussed a certain topic.
Chairman Mao communicated with the masses
Mao Zedong told Li Jianzhen that in consolidating the revolutionary base areas, he must follow three basic principles:
(i) Carry out the agrarian revolution in depth;
(2) Completely eliminate the militia bandits, develop the armed forces of workers and peasants, and develop outward in waves;
Develop the Party, establish political power, and eliminate counter-revolution.
Mao Zedong further taught Li Jianzhen to learn to distinguish who is the real enemy, and to isolate and attack the real landlords, gentry, and bandits by uniting all forces that can be united.
Mao Zedong finally taught Li Jianzhen that when carrying out the agrarian revolution, he should give more propagandy to the masses the revolutionary principles, expose the essence of the exploiting class, teach the masses to settle the account of exploitation, and let the toiling masses understand the truth of "who feeds whom." After this "special" work report, Li Jianzhen was greatly inspired by the spring breeze and composed his feelings and impressions into a mountain song and sang it everywhere.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="128" > from western Fujian to central</h1>
In the autumn of 1931, the third anti-encirclement and suppression victory, the revolutionary base areas continued to expand, and the base areas in western Fujian and gannan were connected into one piece, forming a vast central Soviet area centered on Ruijin. The expansion of the base areas means an increase in the demand for cadres, and in particular, the new base areas urgently need outstanding cadres who are good at engaging in the peasant movement to lead the work.
Changting County is located at the junction of Fujian, Guangdong and Gansu provinces, and is the main transportation route connecting the Gannan base area and the western Fujian base area, and its geographical location is very important, and at the same time, as a newly opened area, it is also urgent for experienced cadres to take up posts. Therefore, on the recommendation of Luo Ming, acting secretary of the provincial party committee, the provincial party committee decided to appoint Li Jianzhen as the secretary of the Changting County CPC Committee, and Li Jianzhen also successfully became the first female county party secretary in the Central Soviet Region.
Li Jianzhen (right)
Soon after arriving in office, Li Jianzhen faced a thorny problem. At that time, the Western Fujian Soviet Region was carrying out a campaign against the "Social Democratic Party", and many masses and cadres were implicated. She received an official letter from the Provincial Suppression Committee, requesting that she personally bring a company of Red Guards to the ancient city to arrest the "counter-revolution" in accordance with the list given.
Li Jianzhen still remembered Mao Zedong's teaching to distinguish who was the real enemy, so she did not believe in herself that there were so many counter-revolutionaries. Moreover, the hunting list included Yu Zhengping, the secretary of the ancient city district party committee, which was a good cadre she was familiar with, and how could he be a "counter-revolutionary leader".
All kinds of circumstances made Li Jianzhen decide not to rush to arrest him first, but to visit other cadres and the masses. In everyone's mouth, Yu Zhengping was enthusiastic and upright, had a positive and correct revolutionary attitude, and was a trustworthy and excellent cadre without the slightest "counter-revolutionary problem." However, the order of the provincial party committee has been issued, and Li Jianzhen cannot resume his life "empty-handed".
At the time of the dilemma, he was reported to him that in recent days the local masses had reported that some people from bad backgrounds in neighboring villages had fled to the mountains, including cadres and deserters in the revolutionary ranks.
After listing the names of these people, there happened to be people on the list listed by the Provincial Anti-Corruption Committee, so Li Jian sincerely had a plan. Immediately take people into the mountains to arrest them, and arrest these people who have hidden in the mountains to complete the task.
Unexpectedly, the next day Li Jianzhen came to the purge committee to make a difference, and the relevant person in charge of the purge committee did not "buy the bill", severely criticizing her for not arresting people according to the list and shielding the "counter-revolution". And Li Jianzhen also showed her hot side of personality and argued in person.
This argument alarmed a guest resting in the opposite room. Only to see this strange middle-aged man, accompanied by the leaders of the provincial party committee, walking towards their room. Under some inquiry, Li Jianzhen, who was already angry, was even more impatient.
Zhou Enlai (Red Army period)
When the provincial party leaders saw this situation, they showed that the stranger's identity was Zhou Enlai, the supreme head of the Central Bureau. When Li Jianzhen heard this, he couldn't help but cry out and complained to Zhou Enlai about his injustice. After understanding the whole situation of the matter, Zhou Enlai clearly believed that Li Jian was really justified in this matter, and he stressed to all the comrades present that there must be sufficient evidence for the repression, that a bad person should not be spared, that a good person should not be wronged, and that the majority of the people must be united well.
Then Zhou Enlai asked Li Jianzhen's name and praised her as an excellent county party secretary. Li Jianzhen learned the art of struggle from Zhou Enlai's teachings, and after a rigorous examination of the arrestees afterwards, no serious counter-revolutionary problems were found, and all of them were approved for release.
In March 1932, the Central Bureau of the Soviet Union decided to change the Provincial Party Committee of Fujian, Guangdong and Gansu into the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, and Li Jianzhen, Luo Ming, Zhang Dingcheng, Tan Zhenlin and other 9 people were elected as executive members of the provincial party committee, and Luo Ming was elected as the secretary of the provincial party committee.
In October of the following year, the Fujian Provincial Party Committee held its Third Party Congress, which elected the leading body of the provincial party committee with Chen Tanqiu as its secretary, and Li Jianzhen was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and minister of women's affairs.
In the winter of the same year, the provincial party committee decided to send Li Jianzhen to study at the Party School of the Central Bureau of the Cpc Soviet Union. After completing his studies, Li Jianzhen, as a representative of Fujian Province, attended the Second National Congress of the Chinese Soviet held in Ruijin and was elected as an executive member of the Central Government of the Chinese Soviet. After the meeting, the central authorities decided to transfer Li Jianzhen to be the director of the Women's Department of the Central Bureau of the Soviet Union.
Statue of Li Jianzhen
From the local to the central government, Li Jianzhen's position has been continuously improved, but the original intention of the revolution and the enthusiasm for work have not changed. At that time, during the period of the fifth anti-"encirclement and suppression" struggle in the Central Soviet Region, around the center of the anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaign, Li Jianzhen organized the families of the Red Army and set up the Expanding Red Commando Team, leading the Expanding Red Commando Team to travel all over the fields to carry out propaganda to the masses on expanding the Red Army.
Li Jianzhen made full use of his advantage of being able to sing mountain songs, walked all the way and sang all the way, and aroused the enthusiasm and determination of the vast number of soldiers and civilians in the Soviet area to oppose "encirclement and suppression." In order to publicize the marriage law promulgated by the central government of the Soviet Union, Li Jianzhen, who was born as a child bride, also compiled the situation of poor women at the bottom of society into a mountain song.
In order to solve the problem of production in the rear areas of the Soviet Union, Li Jianzhen demanded that every working woman should join the production front, learn to carry forward the spirit of heroic fighting on the front line of the Red Army soldiers, and constantly mobilize women to participate in labor production and provide support for the front. At the same time, in order to let women take on more tasks, Li Jianzhen abolished the bad habit of wrapping small feet and solved another important problem for women in the Soviet Union.
With the failure of the fifth anti-encirclement campaign, the Red Army was forced to begin preparations for the transfer. At this time, Li Jianzhen received an urgent task to mobilize women to make 200,000 pairs of straw shoes and 100,000 rice bags for the Red Army. She led by example, leading all the women to catch up day and night, and in just one month, all of them completed the task, ensuring that each person was given two pairs of shoes and a rice bag when the Red Army's Long March began.
Some of the female Red Army members participated in the Long March
After the start of the Long March, Li Jianzhen successively served as the chief of the civil movement section and the leader of the work team of the Headquarters of the Second Column of the Central Committee, and the instructor of the rest and recuperation company of field army cadres. On the way, across the snowy mountains, across the meadows, all kinds of difficulties and obstacles, the work is also facing many difficulties, Li Jianzhen still maintains an optimistic and positive attitude, full of confidence in the prospects of the revolution. Not only that, she did not forget her "old line", spread her high morale with mountain songs, and constantly inspired her comrades-in-arms.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="149" > the king of revolutionary mountain songs after the Long March</h1>
After the Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi, Li Jianzhen continued to serve as the director of the Women's Department of the CPC Central Bureau, leading the women of the Revolutionary Base Areas in Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia to support the Red Army in combat and various constructions.
At the beginning of 1938, Li Jianzhen, together with his lover Deng Zhongming and other comrades, was transferred to Jiangxi to do the work of concentrating the Red Army guerrillas and reorganizing the New Fourth Army. Later, her husband Deng Zhongming died, and Li Jianzhen never remarried.
Li Jianzhen's original name was Li Jianzhen, and the former wife of the American friend Snow, Nime Welles, wrote Li Jianzhen as "Li Jianzhen" in her book "Continuing to Travel West". So the name "Li Jianzhen" spread.
When "Li Jianzhen" was the head of the Women's Department of the Southeast Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, he changed to Li Jianzhen at the suggestion of his comrades around him. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, rumors of Li Jianzhen's unfortunate sacrifice were spread, and Chairman Mao felt very sorry after hearing this. This is the opening scene, chairman Mao warmly receiving Li Jianzhen.
Mr. and Mrs. Li Jianzhen
During the Liberation War, Li Jianzhen successively served as the director of the Women's Department of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the secretary of the Women's Committee of the Shandong Branch of the CPC Central Committee and the director of the Shandong Provincial Women's Federation, and the deputy director of the Democratic Movement Department of the Central China Branch of the East China Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.
In October 1949, Li Jianzhen returned to his hometown of Guangdong, where he had been away for 20 years, to take charge of land reform in Guangdong Province. Even in a high position, Li Jianzhen still did not forget her true colors, in order to promote the land reform work, she often sang mountain songs with the masses, and gave full play to the propaganda role of mountain songs to the extreme.
After the founding of New China, Li Jianzhen stayed in Guangdong and successively served as the secretary and first secretary of the CPC Guangdong Central District Committee, the deputy secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, and the secretary of the Provincial CPC Committee.
Deng Xiaoping received Li Jianzhen
In April 1978, Li Jianzhen was also appointed secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee. In December 1979, Li Jianzhen was elected chairman of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress.
As a simple folk art form, mountain songs are difficult to associate with the revolution, but Li Jianzhen skillfully integrates the two, she not only sings mountain songs, but also creates mountain songs, uses mountain songs to publicize revolutionary principles, and uses mountain songs to inspire revolutionary fighting spirit. It can be said that mountain songs accompanied Li Jianzhen throughout his life.
In her later years, Li Jianzhen was tormented by illness, and she used mountain songs to encourage herself, but also did not forget to use mountain songs to praise the development of new China. In October 1987, on her way to a meeting in Beijing, she composed her last mountain song.
On March 30, 1992, Li Jianzhen died of illness in Guangzhou at the age of 85.