The work of paleontological researchers has always translated to everyone the "wordless book" written by nature in fossils. Recently, Yin Zongjun spent 8 years discovering sponge fossils 600 million years ago in tons of sand. He said that this is currently the only orphan sponge specimen in the world, which means that the first animals on earth may have appeared in Weng'an, Guizhou more than 600 million years ago.
Weng'an is not only the origin of life, but also has a long history of culture. Here is the site of the "Monkey Field Conference" held by Premier Zhou Enlai as "the eve of the great turning point", and there is also an ancient city with a thousand years of civilization.
Houchang Conference Venue
During the Long March, the Red Army visited Weng'an four times, and from December 31, 1934 to January 1, 1935, the only cross-year meeting in the history of our party and our army was held in Weng'an Monkey Field -- "Monkey Field Meeting". , was hailed by Comrade Zhou Enlai as "the eve of the great turning point". It was a meeting that shined in the annals of history, and now it has become the best place for people from all walks of life to come to Weng'an to realize their wishes for the turning point.
The site of the Houchang Conference, built in 1912, is a brick-and-wood structure courtyard surrounded by brick barrel walls. Looking down from a high altitude, it looks like a seal, commonly known as a "one seal" house.
Walking into the meeting site, you can see the sculpture group with the theme of "The Eve of Turning". After the founding of New China, Chen Changfeng, the guard of Mao Zedong's Long March, came here in person and identified the meeting place of Houchang and the residence of Mao Zedong. .
The Houchang conference site was originally the residence of Song Zesheng, a gentry in Songjiawan, Xiasi Village, Houchang. It is a courtyard with a Tibetan style. The main building is a two-story wooden building surrounded by green brick walls, just like a military fortress. .
Song Zesheng (nickname Song Xiaoan), who has been doing business in Tibet and other places for a long time, felt that this kind of house with wind-fired walls is easy to prevent fire and theft, so he imitated this Tibetan-style house.
There are 5 main halls in the courtyard, 3 lower halls and 3 hatchbacks. The courtyard is inlaid with stone slabs. The six characters "Houchang Conference Site" above the gate of the meeting site were inscribed by Zhang Aiping, the former Minister of National Defense.
The war room and conference room where the meeting was held at that time are still preserved in the venue, as well as some scenes of the Red Army living here. On October 16, 2019, the Houchang Conference site successfully declared the eighth batch of national key cultural relics protection units.
Caotang Millennium Ancient Town Tourist Area
To Weng'an, in addition to visiting the Houchang conference site, you can also visit the Caotang thousand-year-old tourist area.
Caotang Millennium Ancient Town is one of the four ancient market towns in northern Guizhou. It has a history of more than 1,000 years. The tourist area gathers Tusi culture, business culture, dragon and lion culture and red culture. It has the cultural heritage of Sichuan, Hunan, Yunnan and Guizhou folk customs. Small bridges and flowing water, the environment is good.
In Caotang Ancient City, tourists visit ancient buildings such as solid wood double-sided ancient theater building, Qianshan Jinshi Building, Qishan Academy, Tusi Yamen, Huguang Guild Hall, Wenlan Pavilion, Cangmen Gate, Jian'an Gate, etc. The buildings are all wooden structures and wood carvings The technology is very good and has the characteristics of ethnic minorities. There are many sculptures on the square, reflecting the local customs.