Nanchang's Century-Old Building: Where the Military Flag Was Raised!

On the bustling Zhongshan Road in Nanchang stands a solemn gray building. At midnight on August 1, 1927, its fate became intertwined with that of a political party, an army, and even a nation. This building is the former headquarters of the Nanchang Uprising, originally known as the Jiangxi Grand Hotel—the tallest and most luxurious hotel in Nanchang at the time. In 1924, three prominent industrialists from Nanchang—Bao Zhufeng, Li Jinsheng, and Luo Hezhong—recognized the potential of this prime location and pooled 400,000 silver dollars to construct the Jiangxi Grand Hotel. Upon completion, it immediately became the city's most prestigious accommodation. 1. The Jiangxi Grand Hotel faces south with a northward orientation, featuring a silver-gray exterior that blends the elegance of Jiangnan water towns with the grandeur of Baroque architecture. Its enduring relief carvings, opulent courtyard corridors, and auspicious rosewood furniture whisper tales of its former glory and prosperity. 2. The hotel's fusion of Chinese and Western architectural styles, coupled with its lavish interiors, quickly made it a magnet for high society. Spending time here became a status symbol among the elite, and the owners reaped enormous profits as a result. 3. The hotel's flat rooftop design included a two-story pavilion at its northern center, aptly named "Star Gazer Tower," offering panoramic views of Nanchang. As night fell, the quiet gray facade transformed into a dazzling hub of revelry. The constant flow of dignitaries and lively crowds outside provided ideal cover for covert military operations and uprising planning. 4. On July 25, He Long secured the entire Jiangxi Grand Hotel, turning it into the 20th Army's headquarters and the command center for the Nanchang Uprising. Two days later, Zhou Enlai and others arrived, establishing the uprising's supreme leadership—the Communist Party's Frontline Committee—in the hotel's grand celebration hall. 5. Once a venue for wealthy weddings and celebrations, the hall bore the carved inscription "Great Auspiciousness" on its doors. A central plaque read "Crown of the Southern Region," while a long altar table displayed statues symbolizing fortune, prosperity, and longevity. Flanking screens, clocks, and mirrors formed a homophonic pun for "eternal peace." Notably, the clock's hands froze at 2:00 AM on August 1, 1927—the exact moment the uprising began. 6. Room 25 became Zhou Enlai's temporary office, where he worked tirelessly to coordinate the uprising, meeting with labor movement leaders and local representatives. Former hotel staff recalled: "The light in Room 25 often burned through the night." 7. At 2:00 AM on August 1, gunfire erupted across Nanchang, marking the Communist Party's armed resistance against the Kuomintang. Over 20,000 insurgents, led by Zhou Enlai, He Long, Ye Ting, Zhu De, and Liu Bocheng, fought fiercely. Meanwhile, the hotel buzzed with activity—messengers relaying orders, wounded soldiers being carried in (with hotel staff assisting), until dawn brought victory and jubilation. This historic day cemented Nanchang's legacy as the "Heroic City," with the Jiangxi Grand Hotel, as the uprising's command center, forever remembered as "where the military flag first rose."