– Mao Zedong · Autumn 1928
Banners are in sight below the hills,
Drums and bugles echo from the peaks.
Though the enemy surrounds us in layers upon layers,
We stand firm and unshakable.
Our defenses have long been closely fortified,
And united as one, our will forms a mighty wall.
At Huangyangjie, cannon roars ring loud;
Word comes: the enemy fled under cover of night.
Note
In the autumn of 1927, Mao Zedong, after organizing the famous autumn harvest uprising in Hunan Province, established a revolutionary base in the Jinggang Mountains in the Hunan-Jiangxi border area. On August 30, 1928, Kuomintang units from Hunan and Jiangxi attacked the Jinggang Mountains. The defending troops under Mao Zedong, numbering less than one battalion, fought back from their position at Huangyangjie, routed the enemy and saved the base.
Mao wrote the poem to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Huangyangjie, a key defensive battle on the Jinggang Mountain revolutionary base in 1928.
Ci (Song‑style lyric)
A traditional Chinese poetic form with fixed tune patterns. Xijiang Yue (The Moon Over the West River) is a widely used cipai, suitable for describing military scenes and expressing heroic spirit.
Military imagery in Chinese poetry
Using banners, drums, bugles, cannons, and fortifications to depict battle situations is a long-standing tradition in Chinese military poetry.
Jinggang Mountain
The first rural revolutionary base established by the Communist Party of China, known as “the cradle of the Chinese revolution”.
Battle of Huangyangjie
A famous battle in August 1928 where the Red Army, with a small force, successfully defended the Huangyangjie Pass and repelled multiple attacks by Kuomintang troops.
Unshakable as a mountain
Describes extremely firm determination and stable position, showing the Red Army’s strong will to hold the base.
Closely fortified defenses
Refers to solid and rigorous defensive works built by the Red Army on Jinggang Mountain.
United will forms a great wall
A classic idiom meaning when people are united, their collective will is as strong as a city wall, highlighting the unity of the army and people.
Fled under cover of night
Describes the enemy’s hasty, shameful retreat at night, highlighting their defeat.
西江月·井冈山
毛泽东 · 一九二八年秋
山下旌旗在望，山头鼓角相闻。
敌军围困万千重，我自岿然不动。
早已森严壁垒，更加众志成城。
黄洋界上炮声隆，报道敌军宵遁。
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