“To cut down this tree, you’ll have to cut me down first!” — this cry from over 90 years ago still echoes among the ancient trees in Chenghe Village, Hong’an County.
A 200-year-old trident maple stands at the entrance of the former residence of General Wang Jinshan, a founding lieutenant general. Unlike ordinary ancient trees, its trunk base is embedded with iron pieces and covered with protruding burls, forming rugged “bumps.”
“Back then, when the reactionaries came to cut down the tree to ‘eradicate the roots,’ General Wang’s sister-in-law, Zhang, hammered iron nails into the trunk overnight and wrapped herself in a quilt to lie under the tree, vowing to live or die with it,” explained 66-year-old villager Wang Zuoquan, pointing at the ancient maple. The phrase “To cut down the tree, you’ll have to cut me down first” has resonated through time, forging a heroic ode of loyalty and courage.
This tree is thus revered as the “General’s Maple.” The heartfelt devotion of “protecting with one’s life” in the past has now transformed into the practical struggle of “promoting prosperity through red culture” on this revolutionary land. One tree bears witness to a spirit; one spirit is revitalizing an entire village.
Time passes silently, iron and wood merge and coexist here—this “General’s Maple” has become a symbol of the spirit of “unyielding integrity and daring to draw the sword.”
General Wang Jinshan, who hailed from this land, was renowned for his “crazy” and “tough” combat style and served as the primary inspiration for the character Li Yunlong in the TV series Drawing the Sword.
His life perfectly embodied the saying, “When two foes meet, the brave one wins.”
Known as “Crazy Wang,” he joined the army at 15, became a Red Army division commander by 20, and was wounded nine times in his illustrious military career. During the Anti-Japanese War, he organized an ambush in Hanlue Village, swiftly annihilating the Japanese “observation group,” which included over 120 officers such as a major general and six colonels, with none escaping. The Battle of Shangganling, which he commanded, demonstrated the nation’s and military’s might.
The iron-willed ethos of “no desire for money, no attachment to home, no fear of death” is the truest portrayal of the “Drawing the Sword Spirit”—daring to stand up in times of crisis and never retreating in the face of powerful enemies. This spirit is deeply connected to the essence of the Dabie Mountains spirit: “daring to be the vanguard and fighting until victory.”
This heroic land is deeply rooted in a rich revolutionary heritage. Chenghe Village was not only a key assembly point for the Huangma Uprising but also the birthplace of three founding lieutenant generals: Wang Jinshan, Zhan Caifang, and Zhang Renchu. The legendary tale of “three lieutenant generals from one village” originated in Hong’an, known as the “First County of Generals.”
How can the “Drawing the Sword Spirit” be brought out of history and into reality? How can the Dabie Mountains spirit shine in the new era?
The people of Chenghe Village have answered with action. Villagers donated family heirlooms—rusty kerosene lamps and yellowed certificates of merit—solemnly presenting them to General Wang Jinshan’s former residence. Elders formed a “story advisory group,” orally preserving history and rescuing memories. Women revived traditional drum performances, while children became “young red narrators.”
“One village, one plan; one household, one story; one step, one scene”—here, red history has been set in motion, and traditional culture has been brought to life.
“General Wang Jinshan epitomized the essence of the Dabie Mountains spirit,” noted a representative from the Red Culture Promotion Office of the Hong’an Revolutionary Memorial Management Center. “These qualities not only defined his military career but are also imprinted on the character of his hometown and the spirit of the times. By promoting the ‘Drawing the Sword Spirit,’ villagers are not only commemorating the general but also engaging in a timeless spiritual inheritance.”</p
